Harry Potter and the Rise of Evil
by Krissy4
Summary: *OotP Spoliers* Takes place after OotP. A new girl comes in to Harry's life and is targetted for more then one reason
1. New Girl, New begining

Harry walked down one of the busy streets of London. The sun's rays were beating down, and the heat waves were rising up. He looked ahead of him and saw his 'family' or at least what was left of his family. His Uncle Vernon's neck less body was right in front of him and he shot glares at Harry to make sure that he wasn't doing any "funny business".  
  
Harry was an unusual boy or at least in the Muggle world. Harry is a wizard; one who's back from his fifth year of school at Hogwarts. Harry's life was hell driven for the ten years he lived with his aunt and uncle. He was treated like he was on the bottom of the food chain, like a servant that's not to be seen. But things were much better before; or at least he thinks it was.  
  
Voldemort, the most powerful wizard of the era, was at his peak as he and his followers, known as Death Eaters, terrorised the wizarding world. Especially Harry's. One of his parent's friends was a Death Eater and also their Secret Keeper. But he ratted them out to Voldemort and they were both killed. Harry, miraculously, survived the attack and was left on the step of his mother's sister.  
  
His mom is the only reason he goes back to the Dursley's every year after school. When his mom died, she tried to protect him out of love. Petunia, being his mom sister, shared that love and the only way to keep the love with him, was to be with them for a month.  
  
"Here we are." Vernon said cheerfully as he, Petunia, and his glutton of a son Dudley sat down at a small circular table at on outside café. "I was told wonders about this place's food and service. You;" he said while glaring at Harry, "go find somewhere else to sit."  
  
Harry gladly left them and pushed his messy black hair out of his eyes. He looked around the café and the only vacant seat was near the corner with a girl that was reading a book. Harry made his way to the table, which was a ways away from his aunt's, and summoned up his courage.  
  
"Excuse me," Harry said as he came up to her side. "I don't mean to sound weird or anything but I was wondering if I could sit with you; everywhere else is taken."  
  
"Sure; it's always nice to have company," she replied with our taking her eyes off of the page she was reading.  
  
Harry smiled thanks as he sat down across from her. She had short black hair that fell in to her face. He saw her pale blue eyes dart across the book as she continued to read in silence. She carefully placed her bookmark in the book and closed it.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean so seem rude," She said as she slipped her book into a small book bag, "Not talking to you and all, but I really wanted to finish that chapter. I'm Nikki" She smiled as she outreached her hand.  
  
"Harry," he told her as he shook her hand. Harry kept staring at her; there was something about her eyes that sent shivers up his spine.  
  
"Can I ask why you're looking at me like that?" She said in a judgmental tone.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry apologized quickly. "You just remind me of someone"  
  
"Who?" She asked as her head popped up.  
  
"My god..father" Harry said in a sad voice.  
  
"What was his name?" She asked as if her life depended on it.  
  
"Sirius" He said in the same sad voice as his voice croaked.  
  
"Sirius Black?" She asked with excitement twisting around in her voice. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
"He died last month," he told her as he could feel his emerald eyes glaze over with tears. He noticed that her face fell dramatically. Harry closed his eyes to keep his tears from falling out. He was there when Sirius died; they were in the Ministry of Magic. His cousin, Bellatrix, was the one who shot him after he tried to save Harry. Remus held him back as Sirius fell behind the veil. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, 'Don't cry now' he told himself 'You can do that when you relive that moment tonight.' He opened his eyes and saw Nikki, glumly, crossing something out of a notebook.  
  
"That's almost everybody now." She said in a small voice. Harry leaned over and saw at least twenty names crossed out.  
  
"Who are they?" Harry asked as he scanned the page.  
  
"The people I'm looking for. Most of them are dead though. Some of them are evil. There's just two that I need to find. But I've been trying for ten years now. What are the chances that I can find them?"  
  
"Who are they? I might know," Harry offered.  
  
"P.A.D, I don't know what his name id but those are his initials, he's been writing to me. And they other one is Remus Lupin." She said as she closed her book and slipped it in to her bag.  
  
"I know Remus Lupin!" Harry said suddenly. "And I know where he is."  
  
"You do?" She said in a hopeful tone. "Can you bring me to see him? Please it's really important."  
  
"I don't know." Harry said warily. "He's not usual.." Harry cut himself off as she showed him the inside of her right arm.  
  
"I'm not a Death Eater Harry." She said in a quiet voice. "You have to trust me."  
  
"Alright" Harry said. "But you have to close your eyes when we get near to where he lives, it's a secret." He implied as he stood up.  
  
"Oh thank you!" She squealed with happiness as she hugged him. "You have no idea what this means to me."  
  
Harry pulled out of the hug as they walked past the Dursleys, he saw Dudley grow jealous as his Aunt Petunia nodded to show that she acknowledged his leaving them. Harry and Nikki made their way out of the city and in to the more suburb part of London. Harry stopped her two blocks from their destination.  
  
"You're going to have to close you eyes now." He told her as he pushed his glasses up. Nikki closed her eyes as Harry spun her around so she wouldn't know which direction they were going in. Harry reached for her hand but she pulled it away, Harry froze in shock as she reached up and slid her fingers gently over his lightning blot shaped scar.  
  
"Sorry," She apologized as Harry took her hand. "But I had to see you."  
  
"What?" Harry asked in a confused voice as they made the corner.  
  
"It's weird but I can see people when I have my eyes closed. I see the real them, like if they're in costume, I can see through it. It's one of my talents." She explained as they stepped on the unkempt grass.  
  
"I see." Harry said as they stopped. "Cover your ears okay." Harry told her as he said the address and the house appeared out of the ground. They entered it as it descended back in to the earth.  
  
"Harry," growled a voice behind him. He spun around and saw Mad Eye Moody limping his way towards him. "It's good to see you!" He told him as he clamped him on the shoulders. Harry noticed his magical blue eye fixed on Nikki.  
  
"Who is she?" "He whispered into his ear.  
  
"Long story." Harry replied abruptly. "Where's Remus?"  
  
"Feeding Buckbeak upstairs." Moody told him as he magical eye staid on her.  
  
"Thanks." Harry told him. "Can you still see me?"  
  
Nikki nodded as they climbed the many stairs, he could hear Ron and his brothers in the room he passed and longed to see them. He shook his head as they climbed further up the stairs. He stopped at a heavy looking door. He pushed it open and saw Remus sitting on a bed with a Hippogriff.  
  
"Harry?" Remus asked as he looked at him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I have something, well, someone to show you." Harry said as he looked behind him and saw Nikki, who was small enough to hide behind him digging through her pocket.  
  
"Can I open my eyes now Harry?" She whispered.  
  
"Sure." He told her as he stepped aside and allowed her to see Remus. The two of them appeared to freeze. Nikki looked down at what she took out of her pocket.  
  
"Nikki?" Remus choked out. "Is that you?"  
  
Nikki nodded as tears ran down her cheeks. Remus ran over and hugged her. Harry saw him shaking as he cried into her shoulder.  
  
"Why didn't you get me?" Nikki sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
"I tried to. But they said that I was unfit." He said as he tried to regain his posture.  
  
"You two know each other?" Harry asked Remus as he wiped away his tears.  
  
"Yes, in a way. Harry, Nikki is Sirius' daughter."  
  
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A/N: Well, there's the first chapter, hope you loved or liked it. Heck you can hate it too. I know that the middle was a little rushed but I tried. Please tell me what you though about it. Please. (And if you read Nothing Fair in love and Pranks; yes this is the same Nikki from that story. It's just a different plot line.) 


	2. Backgroung Information

"Sirius'.. daughter?" Harry repeated slowly; allowing the words he just heard to sink in. "He was married?"  
  
"Yes, he married Daemon Mathews a week before your parents got married." Remus told him as Nikki sat down on the bed.  
  
"What happened to her?" Harry asked out of curiosity.  
  
"She was killed on the same night as your parents," Nikki told him as she looked back at the piece of paper she took out of her pocket. "Along with Lé Anna. A Death Eater killed them while Sirius was on his way to your house. Remus was supposed to meet them there but he was running late. He was watching me earlier that day, and I was just waking up. When he got there, they were already gone. They were brought to the hospital when Sirius got back and announced dead an hour after. Remus was turning into a werewolf the next night so he wasn't there to keep an eye on Sirius, who went after Peter."  
  
"How..how do you know all of that?" Remus asked her. "You know so much about it."  
  
"P.A.D told me in the letters he sent. He answered everything I asked him in the past seven years. Except..." She said as her voice dramatically dropped. "Except why no one came to get me..." She told him as her eyes swelled up. Harry could actually hear the sound of her heart breaking through her voice.  
  
"I told you. I tried." Remus said sternly. "I tried every month but they always told me that I was unfit because I'm a werewolf and that I was friends with a murderer. There was one time that I was allowed to a few years ago, but you weren't there"  
  
"Yeah," She replied glumly, "I run away a lot. Sometimes I just feel trapped so I just leave. But I'm never gone too long."  
  
"Really," Remus said as they heard someone knocking at the door. "Yes?" Remus called to the door. Moments later, Mrs. Weasley's head popped in.  
  
"Remus, I just wanted to let you know that supper is ready." She told him in a kind voice. "Are you hungry Harry dear? Moody told me that you came with someone. Is she hungry too?"  
  
"When am I not hungry Mrs. Weasley?" Harry told her with a grin.  
  
"Do you want something to eat Nikki?" Remus asked.  
  
"No I'm good. I had a muffin today; I shouldn't be hungry for another..three days." She said with a sober expression.  
  
"You should really have something else to eat Nikki." Remus told her in concerned voice. "A muffin isn't a lot of food."  
  
"I'll leave you a plate of food and when you're hungry you can eat. OK?" Mrs. Weasley offered before leaving to go downstairs.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to eat. You can come downstairs and sit with us." Remus suggested as he made his way towards the door.  
  
"No thanks Remus, I'm fine." She reassured as she stroked Buckbeak's beak.  
  
"Alright," Remus said reproachfully as he closed the door. He and Harry walked down the stairs as the familiar voices of the people in the Order of the Phoenix became louder and clearer.  
  
"Harry!" Fred greeted as they came into the room. The red head spooned another spoonful of potatoes into his mouth. "How are you?"  
  
"Starved," Harry said as he looked onward at the variety of food scattered over the table.  
  
"Well, pull up a chair!" George, Fred's twin, said as he pulled out the one beside him. "Eat!"  
  
Harry sat down and began to drop food on to his plate listening in to the different conversations, trying to catch up with everything he missed. The news; the plans; the foods.  
  
"Harry," Mr. Weasley spoke up. "I was talking to Dumbledore today. He said that after what happened that it's prime that you learn Occumenly. He said that he'll teach you unless he's really busy then Professor Snape has agreed to fill in. But you must practice. Even now, you could try clearing your head before you sleep; alright?"  
  
Harry nodded his head, considering his mouth was overflowing with mashed potatoes. He did have a point. Last month, Lord Voldemort tricked Harry into getting his Prophecy by making him think that he was torturing Sirius. Harry spooned some more food into his mouth. Occumenly is too important to disregard this year. Last year, he, let alone the rest of the DA, barely got away with their lives because of his stubbornness to not practice it. He defiantly won't be making that mistake this year.  
  
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"SIRIUS" Harry screamed as he bolted up in his bed. Harry could feel a trickle of cold sweat run down the side of his face. He gasped for air and his heart returned to it normal pace. Scene of Sirius falling behind a veil still flashed through his mind. He swung his feet over the side of his bed and stood up; swallowing his tears as Ron snored on.  
  
He walked towards the door and down the stairs. As he passed the hangings that concealed Sirius' mother and noticed a glow coming from the living room. He reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Remus asleep in one of the armchairs in front of the fire. Nikki was in the one beside him, starring in to the fire as if it was casting a spell on her.  
  
"Hi Nikki." Harry yawned as he sat on the edge of the couch facing her.  
  
"Morning Harry," She said, fixed on the fire. "Bad Dream?"  
  
"Yeah, what about you? Are you having trouble sleeping?"  
  
"No, I can fall asleep when I want to. I'm just afraid to." She sighed.  
  
"Why would you be afraid to fall asleep? You're not afraid of closet monsters are you?"  
  
"No. Last year, I had the best dream. I was with my parents; and it was my birthday. We had so much fun together. It felt so real, and so right. Like that's where I should be and what I should be doing instead of being shunned at an orphanage. But then I woke up. And that's all it was; a dream. It was my birthday and all I had was a book from P.A.D.  
  
"I was afraid to sleep that night. What if I go back and wake up to the Orphanage again. That's what it's like now; I'm afraid to fall asleep and wake up back in my small room again; with out Remus, Mr. Weasley, you, Buckbeak, and everyone; just Umbridge."  
  
"Umbridge?" Harry repeated, his mouth hanging open.  
  
"Yes, Darlene Umbridge. Her sister works in the Ministry. She hates be because I'm half Sorceress. She's been trying to out-law sorceress magic to underage people."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked as Nikki threw some more wood into the fire.  
  
"Sorcery isn't illegal if you're underage as long as you have total control over what you're doing." She explained as she looked at the same piece of paper from earlier.  
  
"What is that Nikki?" Harry asked as he strained his neck to look.  
  
"It's a picture of my parents on their wedding day." She said as she handed it over. "Your parents are there too."  
  
Harry took the picture from her and saw Sirius, hair falling casually into his eyes like in Snape's Pensive. A girl with long black hair and in a white dress was throwing a water balloon at him. Harry saw his mom throwing one at his dad on the other side of the picture and beside him was Remus who was getting hit by a balloon that a blonde threw at him.  
  
"Who's the one with blonde hair?" Harry asked as he handed her back her picture.  
  
"That's Lé Anna, she was Remus' fiancée. She got killed with my mom." She said as she went back to looking at the fire. Harry watched her head droop on to her shoulder as she tried to pull it back up.  
  
"Harry, if I fall asleep," She said as her head rested, "promise me that when I wake up, you'll still be here." She requested as her eyes slowly shut.  
  
`````````````````````````` A/N: Here's the second chapter, I hope that you liked it too. I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter it was a little slow but the next one will be much better.  
  
Kali Shan - I'm sorry that you hate that name, and that I chose it. Oh well, I'm glad that you liked the last one.  
  
Heather - I updated, was it soon enough?  
  
Ayla Lupin - good summary of the last chapter. 


	3. Visions

Harry opened his eyes slightly and saw Ron and Ginny leaning over a game of wizard chess in the chairs that Nikki and Remus were sleeping in earlier.  
  
"Good morning Harry," Ron said as he pushed one of Ginny's knights off of the board.  
  
"Morning." Harry replied through a yawn. "Where's Nikki?"  
  
"Who's Nikki?" Ginny asked as she searched for a new move.  
  
"Good Morning Harry," Remus said as he walked through the room, carrying a bucket.  
  
"Remus, where's Nikki at?" Harry asked as he stood up.  
  
"She's still asleep." He said as he turned around. "I brought her up to Sirius' room."  
  
"Where's his room at?" Harry asked. "I don't remember cleaning it."  
  
"Because he left it the way it was. His parents didn't go in it after he left, so he still had everything from before in there. It's on the top floor if you want to go see her."  
  
"Alright," Harry said, "Thanks Remus."  
  
"Oh, Harry." Remus stopped him. "Last night Nikki told me that she has these night terrors type of thing, so if anything weird happens, come and get me OK?"  
  
"Alright Remus. You want to come Ron?" Harry asked as Ron flicked Ginny's last piece off the board.  
  
"Sure."  
  
The two climbed the many flights of stairs up to the top floor. On their way up, they passed Mr. Black who was covered by her drapery and they saw Kreacher's feet poking out from underneath.  
  
"I never realized how big this place was." Ron puffed as the reached the top.  
  
"There's no door," Harry said while looking around. "How are we supposed to get in?"  
  
"Harry," Ron said while pointing to the ceiling. Above them was a trap door with a cord hanging from it. Ron, who was the taller of the two, pulled on it and it opened. A small step ladder dropped from it and they climbed up.  
  
They climbed in to a deep blue room that was unlike the other rooms in the house. They rest of the house had a dreary feel to it, but this one was more warm. The walls were splattered with moving pictures of Sirius, Lily, James, Peter, Daemon, and Lé Anna; the two girls that were in the picture Nikki showed him the other night. In the corner was a wooden table over flowing with parchment and a mirror identical to the one Sirius gave Harry. There seemed to be some old Hogwarts robes thrown in the closet that was now falling out. In the middle of the room there was a four poster bed with red drapes on it. Harry walked closer and saw 'Property of Hogwarts' sewn on the bottom. Nikki was currently curled up on the pillows of the bed.  
  
"Do you think we should wake her?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's practically noon," Harry said as he went to shake her.  
  
"I have bad news," Squeaked a voice.  
  
"What is it?" Another voice hissed. It sent shivers up Harry's spine and made his scar tingle.  
  
"We can not find her." The voice squeaked again.  
  
"Ron, do you know.." Harry asked as he turned around and saw Ron, pale as a ghost. Harry turned back around and saw Nikki, still asleep but her lips were moving as if someone was using her as a puppet to talk through.  
  
"Who?" The second voice hissed.  
  
"The girl!" Came another voice, this time deeper and sterner.  
  
"You've lost track of the girl? I gave you specific orders to not to take your eyes off of her." The voice hissed anger twisting around each word.  
  
"I know that voice" Harry said, "its Voldemort's!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" The squeaky voice apologized.  
  
"Peter?" Ron asked as Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"Don't you realize that she could be seeing us right now?" Voldemort's voice hissed in pure outrage.  
  
"I can't see you!" Nikki yelled out as tears streamed down her eyes, "I can't see anything."  
  
"If someone is listening to her, they'll be able to track us down from what she hears. She'll be able to describe to them who and what she saw!" Voldemort spat.  
  
"But I don't see anything" Nikki repeated.  
  
"Harry what are you doing?" Ron asked as Harry jumped on to the bed.  
  
"She needs to see us." He told her as he picked up her hand and ran it over his burning scar. "Can you see me?"  
  
Nikki nodded her head as the voices still spoke. "Do you know where she might be my Lord?"  
  
"No, I don't. But I know she's close." Voldemort's voice hisses out as it died down. "I can taste her fear.." Voldemort said as Nikki opened her eyes. Ron and Harry continued looking at her, mouthed hanging open, faces pale.  
  
"I think we go get Remus." Ron said as tears continued to stream from Nikki's eyes.  
  
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A/N: It's short! I'm sorry; the next one will be longer. I promise. (And it probably won't be a cliffie either) I don't like short chapters but I wanted this one to focus on Nikki's visions. You'll be able to understand it better in the next chapter; she'll explain what they are.  
  
Heero's Girl - I'll try to keep up the good work. And it is Occlumency; I even looked it up in the story before I posted the last chapter and I lost the spelling on the way over. I was kicking my self for that. And I do agree with the ending to the last chapter, it is sweet.  
  
Firefly - I left a cliffie? : Re reads the end of chapter 1: Yeah, I guess it's kinda a cliffie  
  
0.0 - Yes, it is a surprise. 


	4. Professor Death Eater

"Nikki please come out," Remus pleaded as he sat on her bed.  
  
"No!" Nikki screamed from under the bed. "I can't. I went through this too many times; I don't want to go through it again."  
  
"Go through what?" Remus asked as he tried to look at her.  
  
"This!" She choked, obviously crying. "You'll say; 'Nikki darling why don't you come out so we can talk?' So I will and you sit down beside me and look me in the eyes and say 'You know I love you but I just don't feel any parental-child chemistry between us and maybe you'll be better off back at the orphanage where someone who loves you more can find you.' Or you'll say that money's tight and you can't afford to feed another mouth, or some kind of excuse. So I'll be sent back to the orphanage where nobody loves me and wait another five years or so to get adopted. So if you just leave, I'll make it easier on the two of us and I'll let myself out."  
  
"Nikki," Remus sighed, "I'm not going to send you back to the orphanage."  
  
Harry saw the top of Nikki's head slid out from under the bed so they could see her eyes. "That's what the Hunts said."  
  
"I promise; I was looking for you for forever." He said.  
  
"MacIsaacs said that."  
  
"I would rather die then send you back,"  
  
"Mombourquettes"  
  
"Nikki; I lost everyone from the past. You are the only thing I have left from it."  
  
"You have Harry," She reminded him, "And you just have him for a month; much better commitment then for the rest of your life. It gives you much more free time."  
  
"Nikki, please," Remus sighed sadly. "I am not going to send you back; now please come out."  
  
"Alright," Nikki said as she slipped out from under the bed. Harry and Ron moved over so she could sit. She sat down by him and looked the other way.  
  
"Nikki, I went to the orphanage today and.. why aren't you looking at me?" He asked.  
  
"It hurts more to look someone in the eyes when you know that you'll never see them again." She said as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.  
  
"I went to the orphanage and adopted you," he continued. "You're not going back, you're here to stay. Now come on, Professor Dumbledore is coming and we have to see what you need for school."  
  
"I'm going to school?" Nikki breathed in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah," Harry told her. "You'll be coming to Hogwarts with us."  
  
"Isn't that wonderful?" Ron said as the climbed down the stairs. Harry and Ron waited for Nikki to come down while Remus went to see Dumbledore. Nikki jumped down from her room and began to walk down the stairs with the two.  
  
"You were really scaring us with that sleeping stuff." Ron said earnestly.  
  
"Well, it's really creepy," Nikki said as they were on their first landing. "It happens at least once a month. It's like I can see them at their meeting or when they're torturing people for information. It's just breaks you."  
  
"So you know who the Death Eaters are?" Harry said as they passed Mrs. Black.  
  
"Yeah, most of them," She said as they made their way into the living room. The door to the kitchen opened and Professor Snape walked out; looking greasier then ever.  
  
"Lupin wants to see the three of you." He said while standing in the door way.  
  
Harry and Ron began to walk towards the door when they heard someone breathing fast. They turned and saw Nikki backing up to the wall looking like she was hyperventilating.  
  
"Nikki, what's..?" Harry asked as he moved towards her. She backed up even faster and fell to the ground.  
  
"Are you alright?" Ron asked as he hurried over.  
  
"They know where I am, they're out to get me.." She said, still hyperventilating.  
  
"Who?" Harry asked as Snape walked over causing Nikki to scream.  
  
"Snape, what did you do to her?" Remus asked as he walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"I've done nothing, Lupin." He said in his oily voice.  
  
"Nikki are you alright?" Remus asked as he tried to help her up.  
  
"Why is he here?" She asked quickly, head between her knees. She was sitting against the wall, rolled up in a ball.  
  
"He's going to be one of your new Professors." Remus explained.  
  
"You're sending me to a school where Death Eaters are teachers? No, no, no, no. They'll get me there, please send me back to the orphanage."  
  
"Oh boy," Remus mumbled. "Nikki you don't understand, he's on our side."  
  
"Then why did I see him at the meeting about ten minutes ago?" She asked.  
  
"He's a double agent, trust me, he's good." Remus said in a reassuring voice.  
  
"But he hurt so many..." She said in an uncertain voice.  
  
"Yes, he had but he had to," He assured her. "Now, come on, Dumbledore waiting."  
  
"Is he a Death Eater too?" She asked.  
  
"No," He said as he pulled her up.  
  
"Where is he going to be?" She asked as she pointed to Snape with fear in her eyes.  
  
"On the other side of the room and if he tries to do anything to you, I'll stop him" Remus said as he steered him into the room. Harry could see Nikki clinging on to Remus' arm like if she let go, she would die.  
  
"Hello Harry, Ron," Dumbledore said as they entered the room. He was sitting at the table, his beard just inches from the floor. "Nikki," He acknowledged as she sat down across from him. "Now, Nikki, you shall be coming to Hogwarts this year and you'll need everything here," he said as he slipped a paper towards her. "And, considering your conditions, I think that it would be wise if you also take Occlumency. Alright?"  
  
"Ok," She replied as she straightened herself.  
  
"Now, as I understand, you never did go to school so you've been studding out of books. Is that right?"  
  
"Yes," She said, slightly depressed.  
  
"I was wondering if Ron and Harry could help you show me how much you know."  
  
"What?" Nikki asked slightly confused.  
  
"I want to see how well you were able to understand what you were reading from books and if you can perform the task if any." Dumbledore explained.  
  
"IF?" Nikki repeated slightly offended. "IF? Please I can do them, as long as you don't want me to use a wand."  
  
"Very well, and after that I'd like you to try your wits against Professor Snape." He said as he hand graced along so it could point to the oily professor.  
  
"You want me to fight a death.. Teacher?" She asked. "Are you nuts?"  
  
"Not entirely, and when I am unable to help you and Harry with Occlumency, he shall." He said as her eyes widened in fear.  
  
"You are going to let a Death Eater crawl into my mind?" She said not even trying to hide her hate.  
  
"Nikki!" Remus said from behind her.  
  
"Don't bother Lupin," Snape drawled, "She knows me as a Death Eater first and a teacher second. But if she should call me that in public, I will have to choice but to punish her." He said as he walked over towards her.  
  
"Touch me and I'll hurt you worst then you can imagine," Nikki threatened under her breath.  
  
"Maybe we should let her fight Snape first Harry," Ron whispered as the two stared at each other with hate.  
  
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A/N: EEEEK! An Update! Hurrah!  
  
Sorry that it took me so long to update. We got a virus on our upstairs computer (where all my stories are) and it crashed out computer. We had to get a new system and everything. I would have started to write it downstairs but I'd have to write like three quarters of it all over again. And I couldn't remember what I wrote really.  
  
Heero's Girl - I'm sorry that this one didn't come out nearly as quick as the last one. I'll try to make the next one longer (Again.)  
  
I'm Sorry Again! (Happy 6 months Dani + Jay) 


	5. Please Ignore this Notice

Hi There - Just a notice  
  
It's going to be a while before I can update again. My computer crashed and it's all fixed now and my dad uploaded the wrong backup disk. SO I have everything I did back in March but nothing recent. I've lost all my chapters and my side stories that I didn't get to post yet and one was twelve pages long (spread over two diff. chapters,) SO until I can get all my thoughts straight, you'll have to wait 'cause it may take me a nit to re- type them and make sure I didn't screw myself by bringing the story in the wrong direction.  
  
Thanks for you patience.  
  
- Krissy4 


	6. Testing her wits

Harry and Nicola stood on other sides of the room, Dumbledore had cleared the table and chairs so they had an open battle ground. Harry had his wand out, down by his side, waiting for Dumbledore's signal to commence. Dumbledore signaled with his hand and Harry raised his wand. Harry saw Nikki's hands glowing a bright blue and was too stunned to speak.  
  
"Argilla!" Nikki shouted as Harry felt his body relax. She held her hands in front of her and began to close them as if she had a grip on a ball. Harry winced in pain, he felt as if his whole body was being compressed. He looked and saw Nikki's hands glide apart from each other as he felt his body stretch out. Harry raised his wand and aimed for her hands.  
  
"Aculeus," A stream of white light flew and hit Nikki's right hand. The glowing ceased as Harry fell to the floor. He saw Nikki shaking her hand that had a small glowing yellow ball in it.  
  
"Incendium," She spoke as the orb became in to a single flame. She opened her hand even more and allowed the flame to grow.  
  
"Frigus," she spoke as the flame became blue and she threw it at him. The flame broke in to pieces and became ice. Harry closed his eyes as felt himself being hurdled back. He opened his eyes and found the ice shards poking through his clothes and himself nailed to the wall.  
  
"That is enough," Dumbledore said as he stood. "Very good Nikki," he commented as he pulled out one of the shards that were holding up Harry's shoulder, "Frozen fire; very creative."  
  
"Thank you," Nikki said proudly.  
  
"Now," He said as he took Harry off the wall, "Would you like to try yourself against Professor Snape?"  
  
"Sure, why not?" She supposed as the greasy haired adult glided on to the floor.  
  
Dumbledore and Harry sat on the sidelines with Ron and Remus before the signal was given to begin the fight.  
  
"Salire!" Nikki said quickly as she threw a purple orb towards Snape and missed by several inches.  
  
"You've completely missed." He hissed at her.  
  
"No I didn't," she said as Snape turned to see behind him. A larger purple sphere rocketed towards him and smacked him square in the face and sent him to the ground.  
  
"Severus is down, the match is over." Dumbledore said simply  
  
"I told ya I didn't miss." Nikki said as she stood over him and allowed a smirk to crawl over her face.  
  
"What was that?" Remus asked as Snape slowly got up.  
  
"A Rebounding charm," Nikki explained. "The more it bounces the stronger it gets, but after so many bounces, it'll explode. Its ancient magic that witches would use back in the day of witch burnings so they would think it was someone on the other side of the room, and not them."  
  
"How did you learn that?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Books," She said as Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"Very well then Nikki," Dumbledore said with a pause, "but I'm just wondering if you could do your spells with a wand."  
  
"No," Nikki said. "I went to get a wand once and we found one that.fitted me. And the shopkeeper asked me do a simple charm with it, Accio, and .. the wand exploded."  
  
"Exploded?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"In to flames, then in to ashes." She muttered.  
  
"Then we will not equip you with a wand." Dumbledore said. "You are free to go now; I wish to speak to Remus and Severus in private for a moment."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"There," Harry said as he drew an 's' on a grid pattern. "What are you going to do now."  
  
Harry and Nikki were upstairs in Nikki's room on her bed leaning over a piece of parchment.  
  
"Put an 'o' above and, get another SOS, and then an 's' here and get another one and put an ." Nikki said as she started drawing in 's's and 'o's.  
  
"Alright," Harry said. "You think that you'd go easy on me. I never played, let alone heard of, SOS in my life."  
  
"You see, the thing with thinking that;" Nikki said as she turned towards him. "You're wrong." Her and Harry laughed briefly as she made another line. "I win again. So, what do you want to play now?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry said. "Are you ticklish?"  
  
"Why?" Nikki asked in a small voice.  
  
"Tell me," he said as he brushed his fingers along her side causing her to giggle. Harry continued to tickle her as he asked her to tell him if she was ticklish or not. Even though it was quite obvious that she was.  
  
"Okay, okay" Nikki gasped after five minutes. "I'm ticklish, I'm ticklish."  
  
"That's what I thought," Harry replied smugly as he laid over her. She was taking in short breaths, trying to get her breath back, and her hair was covering most of her face. Harry brushed the locks of hair off of her face and looked in to her eyes. They were the same pale blue that sent shivers down his spine when he first saw her but now they were glossy with laughter. She slowed down her breaths as she looked into his eyes. Harry slowly lowered himself until he was mere inches from her lips.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A/N: Well, I got this chapter back but I'm still missing my side chapters. Oh well, I'll get it back with time.  
  
Heero's Girl - I hope that waiting a little bit longer didn't kill you. I'd miss ya. I did have a bit a difficulty and probably will still. Oh well, I better work on my other stories. 


	7. Bow chicka bow bow

Harry laid on top of Nikki on her bed; their lips were at least an inch away from each other. Harry could feel his heart beating rapidly, drowning out almost all sound. Their lips be came closers when Harry heard foots steps beneath them. Harry, panicking, began to tickle Nikki's sides as a head peaked through her trap door.  
  
"There you are," Fred said. "Mum sent me and George to find you two, supper's ready."  
  
"Alright," Harry said as he stopped tickling Nikki and got up. The two went down to the main floor; Nikki and George in front. Freed clapped Harry's shoulder and stopped walking.  
  
"I knew what you were about to do back there," Fred told him.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, trying to sound oblivious.  
  
"Now really Harry, you think I don't know what it looks like when a guy's about to kiss a girl?" He asked as Harry flushed. "Now, I'm not going to start being a mother Harry; but at least think before you act."  
  
"I don't follow." Harry said slowly.  
  
"You were about to kiss Remus' daughter. And Sirius. My does that ever sound odd.. Any ways, Harry, what I wanted to get at is; don't do something with out thinking of the consequences. If you're going to kiss her, at least know what it could do to you, and her."  
  
"You really lost me Fred." Harry told him.  
  
"Oh, I lost myself. That's just something that Percy told me when he walked in on me flirting. It was something like that; I wasn't really paying attention. He bored me half to death." He said as they walked into the dinning room.  
  
*  
  
Harry walked down the stairs late the next morning, he had a sleepless night. Visions of Sirius falling behind the veil in the department of mysteries filled his head and, occasionally, Sirius would turn into Nikki just before he fell. It wasn't until daybreak that he actually got to sleep peacefully.  
  
"Good morning Harry," Ginny greeted him.  
  
Harry yawned "Morning" to her and looked at her.  
  
"Ginny," Harry said slowly. "What are you doing?"  
  
Ginny was looking at the television Fred and George bought them, or rather their father who was obsessed with Muggles and their way of life. The screen was constantly rolling and nobody really bother to watch since it went twice as fast since their dad tried to fix it.  
  
"Nikki fixed it this morning. She showed me how to." She stared at the top of the screen raised her hand and smacked the top of the television, fixing the screen. Ginny smirked proudly as she sat back down in front of the TV.  
  
"What are you watching" Harry asked in amazement, looking at the still screen.  
  
"Doubles figure skating, it live. Me and Nikki were watching it all morning; she said that her favorite team was going to be in it but I can't find her. And they're supposed to be coming on next." Ginny said as she glanced around the room.  
  
The show came back as it showed two teens, a girl and a boy that looked around Harry's age, leaning on a small wall to keep people off the ice. The girl had big black shoulder length ringlets pushed back into a bandana. She, unlike all the other girls behind her, was not wearing a body suit and a skirt but rather normal black pants and a red T-shirt. The guy she was talking to had short black hair that had a casual elegance to it, black pants on too and a white dress shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned.  
  
"Bella, Tiller" The two turned exposing their blue eyes, the girl's was a soft blue and the boy's was a deeper shade. "You're on."  
  
The two smiled at each other as they stepped out on to the ice and glided to the middle. As the two began to twirl in unison to the music, the announcer's voices came on; overlapping the song.  
  
"Nikki Bella and Mike Tiller, favorites for the past few years are off to another flawless start." A woman's voice commented.  
  
"They were in this since they were eight weren't they?" Asked a man as the woman murmured in agreement. "And favorites ever since."  
  
Mike lifted Nikki up and over his head as they twirled around and slowly brought her back down into a hug around her waist.  
  
"What I love about them; is that they can go slowly yet, still have a graceful ... sensual . look to it."  
  
"I love how they can let you feel the passion from way the move."  
  
The music died down as the lights dimmed; obviously signaling the fact that the performance was now over. The two glided back off the ice, as the judges, who were off to the side, tallied up their scores.  
  
"They were quite good." Ginny commented as the two we still on the screen laughing as they showed their scores on the bottom of the screen; putting them in first place. The announcers announced them as the winners as Mike smoothed out her hair. Harry did a small gasp as he looked as the screen; Bella's hair was now flattened and looked just like  
  
"Nikki?" Ginny asked the television.  
  
"I think it is." Harry said as her hair bounced back into place and he shut off the television. "Did she tell you...."  
  
"No. And I wish she did. I'd love to watch her perform." Ginny said as she walked towards the kitchen for lunch.  
  
"I wonder why she kept it a secret," Harry thought out loud.  
  
"No clue," Ginny whispered as she helped herself to some soup. "Pass me a roll."  
  
*  
  
Harry sat at the small table in the living room playing chess with Ron as Ginny watched in a daze. Another one of Harry's pieces was dragged off the board as Harry sighed. He heard the door behind them open. They turned and saw Nikki walk into the room, her hair had a wave to it, Harry assumed that she tried to brush out the curls, and was wearing the same black pants and red shirt that was shown on the television.  
  
"Why hello Nikki Bella." Harry greeted her in a cold voice.  
  
"You saw it; didn't you?" Nikki asked in a sad tone.  
  
"Yeah we saw you." Harry replied. "Why didn't you tell us that you and some guy go around on the ice twirling?"  
  
"I don't know," Nikki shrugged. "I guess that it wasn't very important."  
  
"Sure," Harry said as he moved his King forward in defeat and went upstairs. Harry stormed into his room and slammed the door. He flopped himself onto his bed as he heard someone knocking on the door.  
  
"Harry?" Nikki said as she came in. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You mean to tell me that you don't know what you did wrong?" Harry screamed angrily.  
  
"Yeah, dose it have anything to do with me and Mike figure skating?"  
  
"YES!" Harry screamed again, becoming more and more enraged.  
  
"How?" Nikki asked calmly.  
  
"All I could think of when you two were prancing around on your skates was last night. The announcers were saying how sensuous you two looked and .. How you could feel the passion between you. And then I remembered last night when we were upstairs in your room, just before Fred interrupted us. When I was about to.. And..then I saw Mike and you. It's obvious that there's something between you two."  
  
"There isn't Harry." Nikki said as she shook her head and sat down beside him. "Mike was my only friend from the orphanage. When we were five we bought these two pairs of skate from a yard sale, and we got one of the workers at the orphanage to enroll us in figure skating. When I was seven, Mike got adopted; and he had to leave. He promised me that he would come back once every year to figure skate with me in the competitions. And he did, people thought that we were so cute together so we did some more . misleading dances. It was a crowd pleaser and we just kept doing our dances like that. Besides skating there is nothing between us."  
  
Harry looked at her. Her eyes showed no emotion, almost as if it was pleading him to believe her, her mouth was closed and her face was relaxed. Harry sighed again, he felt so foolish; just like when he believed that Sirius was being torture in the Department of Mysteries.  
  
"Why did you care anyways?" She asked him as she gave him a searching look.  
  
"No reason," Harry lied as he shook his head.  
  
"Tell me," she said as she tickled his side. "You tickled me for information now I'm going to tickle you."  
  
"Because I like you," Harry laughed, making Nikki stop tickling him abruptly.  
  
"You what?" She whispered in shock as Harry sat back up.  
  
"I said 'because I like you'." Harry said as he placed his hand on the side of her face. He slowly pulled her forward; towards him. Harry saw that Nikki's eyes had a warmness to them that made him smile.  
  
"FILTH," Screamed a harsh voice in the hallway. "FILTH BESTOWED ON TO THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK! I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU WERE ALL TO BE ETERNALY DAMNED!"  
  
Harry and Nikki jumped off the bed and ran into the hallway. Mrs. Black's picture was open and a tall figure with short black hair in multiple ponytails was trying in vain to close the drapes over her which were being kept open because of the screams. Harry jumped the stairs and grabbed one of the drapes from her and helped her close them.  
  
"Thanks," she said.  
  
"Tonks," Harry exclaimed. "I didn't know it was you."  
  
"I thought that you would of, I'm the only one that sets her off; unless Molly's in a mood." She added quietly. "So, how's your summer been going?"  
  
"It's .. It's been alright." Harry said unsurely.  
  
"Did your uncle give you trouble?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes. Harry shook his head. "Good. I was getting worried once I didn't hear from you in a few days, I sent an owl to Remus and he said that you were here; he didn't say why though."  
  
"Hello," Nikki said brightly from Tonks' side.  
  
"Hello," Tonks said curtly as she looked at Nikki before she did a double take and stare at her.  
  
"Yes, may I help you?" Nikki asked her after a few seconds of being stared at.  
  
"Did I see you before?" Tonks asked as she gave her a searching look.  
  
"I don't think we did." Nikki said slowly. "If you adopted an unstable child then it may have been me."  
  
"No," Tonks said. "You look like.."  
  
"Sirius," Harry told her. "She looks like Sirius. She's his daughter."  
  
"So you're Nikki!" She said as her face light up. Harry stared at her, he expected her to freak out like he did but she acted as though she expected it. "Your dad told me about you once."  
  
"He did." Nikki asked slowly.  
  
"Yeah, he wanted me to keep my eyes opened incase I saw you when I was roaming around." Tonks told her as she went to see what Molly wanted her for.  
  
Harry saw a pained look on Nikki's face, almost as if she was trying to hold back her tears. She turned to Harry and gave him a weak smile.  
  
"Somebody actually wanted to find me," she said softly as Harry gave her a one armed hug.  
  
A/N: Oh, look, what a surprise. A chapter that's actually long. Shocking isn't it. Too bad it isn't longer. Oh well, take what you can get.  
  
It's probably going to be a while until I update again, you know, with Christmas in a week from tomorrow, my cousin's first b-day tomorrow, babysitting for money for presents, buying and wrapping the presents; cleaning my room (ugh), New years, ect, ect.  
  
Anyways, I should update my other stories soon... in a day or so.  
  
Heero's Girl - Their one on one became two on none . twice . how disappointing. I got a good of my longest side chap re-written so.YAY! And take your time with your updations, just put your story on hiatus, that's what I did with most of mine.  
  
Poet, if you're reading this you better update your story soon send me a piece of it. My chap of your story is almost done and I didn't work on it in a week. Makes you feel small now doesn't it. And if you are reading this, reply. 


	8. Dizzying

"Nikki, I've been wondering," Ginny commenced as she buttered her roll.  
  
"What?" Nikki mumbled through her carrots.  
  
"Why did you use a fake last name when you were skating?"  
  
"Oh," Nikki said as if she was taken by surprise. "Well, it's just that if I use Black I wouldn't have been allowed to enter. I don't think that if I showed up with Black as a last name people would think I'm safe. Some people are kind of prejudice against my last name and Black isn't a very common name around here."  
  
"Some people?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yeah, I had a lot of people freak out when they heard my last name but the police say that they can't do anything because there's no evidence that I picked up my family traits." She told them as she gave a half hearted smile. "So I just use my second middle name; Bella. So people just end up thinking that I'm Nikki Saria Bella instead of Nikki Saria Bella Black"  
  
Harry could hear the rain thundering all around although it was less audible the further down the stairs you went. The four, counting Ron, were sitting in front of the television waiting for the weather to come on. After five or so minutes of waiting, they were shown a computer picture which they supposed was supposed to be the overhead view with the precipitation on it.  
  
"I think that we're under this green splotch," Nikki said as she pointed a piece of green that took up most of the screen. "Heavy rain. Great! Can we go outside?"  
  
"Heavens no." Mrs. Weasley said in shock. "You'll catch a death of cold."  
  
"But its rain, it's not like it can kill you." Nikki reassured.  
  
"There is no way that any of you are going outside." She argued.  
  
"What if Remus says I can?" Nikki smiled.  
  
"That would be his decision." She said as Nikki's face light up and ran to find Remus. A few minutes later, Harry could hear Nikki running down the stairs.  
  
"Bye!" She called before she ran outside, Remus obviously saying yes. Harry saw Mrs. Weasley's nostrils flare as she went back in to the kitchen.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Ginny tried as best as they could to keep themselves busy for the rest of the day. Harry taught both of them how to play SOS and Dots; another game that Nikki taught him. It was nearing supper when Nikki came back inside. She was drenched to the bone, mud was splattered up her pants and her hair was hanging limply as the water dripped from it.  
  
"Is it still raining?" Ginny asked sarcastically as Nikki went upstairs. She reappeared moments later completely dried and changed.  
  
"It is," she said as Ron finished playing Dots.  
  
"What should we do now?" He asked as he finished drawing the line.  
  
"Bloody Knuckles?" Nikki asked.  
  
"What?" Harry asked as he gave her a quizzical look.  
  
"Bloody Knuckles; it's another game. We each have one fist and you try to hit each others knuckles as hard as you can, the first to give up looses. Or you can play the slap game. It's like; I have my hands palms parallel to the ceiling and you have your hands on mine so it's palm to palm. And I'm trying to slap yours and you have to move yours before I do. It's like this." She explained as she put both of her hands out and Harry put his on to of hers. She shot him a blushing smile as he felt something hit both of his hands hard.  
  
"You need to pay attention, you could have dodged that." Nikki commented as she placed her hands under his once more. Ron and Ginny began to play beside them, after losing, Harry and Ron played together as Nikki and Ginny went to see who was better at it. Mrs. Weasley called them in for supper and the girls settled on a draw.  
  
"I met up with Mike when I was outside; he's going to the rink tomorrow and wanted to know if you all wanted to go there with us." Nikki said as she twirled the pasta on her plate. "Don't worry if you can't skate, I can teach you. And we can rent you some skates"  
  
*  
  
Harry held on to the edge of the half wall that separated the ice from the stands for dear life. Harry saw Ron, gliding without any way of stopping slam in to the wall a few feet away from him.  
  
"Alright, so you don't know how to stop." Mike said as he glided over and pushed his black hair out of his eyes.  
  
"No," Ron breathed as he carefully pushed himself away from the wall.  
  
"Try to make a T shape with your skates," He said as he demonstrated from them.  
  
Harry and Ron reluctantly moved away from the wall as they tried to skate and more importantly; stop.  
  
"Here," Nikki said as she staked over with two pylons.  
  
"What's this for?" Ron asked as he took the one she handed him.  
  
"Balance, until you get the hang of it. That's what I did with Ginny." She said as Ginny continued to skate laps around the rink. Harry graciously too his and held on to it to keep himself up. After a half an hour of pylon skating, he and Ron were able to go with out them. The five skaters left the ice to sit down and take a break.  
  
"How do you twirl?" Ginny asked as Nikki walked in with Hot Chocolate for them.  
  
"You're still not able to stop yourself very well Ginny, how do you expect to twirl?" Nikki asked.  
  
"I don't know. Can you at least twirl for me?" Ginny requested as Nikki set her mug down and glided into the center of the ice. She took a deep breath and began to slowly spin as she began to pick up speed and twirl on spot. She crosses her arms over her chest, making herself narrower. After almost twenty more second, with out warning, she fell down. She slowly got up and made her way back to the benches where the other four were, but she wasn't going in the same straight line she was beforehand.  
  
"Wow." she said as he sat down. "Dizzying." She slowly swayed in her seat before she reached once again for her drink, missing it completely; she fell face first into the floor.  
  
*  
  
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow" Nikki complained as Mrs. Weasley tended to the gash she got when she fell.  
  
"Stop complaining," Mrs. Weasley scoffed. "It's just to get rid of any infection"  
  
"Well it stings," She said Mrs. Weasley put some more peroxide on the wound, as Nikki took a sharp breath to keep herself from yelling.  
  
"How did this happen again?" Remus asked as Nikki winced from the sting.  
  
"I told you," She said slowly. "I was spinning on the ice. I got dizzy and fell. I came off the ice, still dizzy. I reached for my hot chocolate, missed the cup all together, and ended up falling and smacking the side of my head off the corner of the table."  
  
"I know," Remus said with a smirk, "I just find it amusing." Nikki glared at him while Mrs. Weasley placed a band-aid over the mark.  
  
"Any why, pre-tell, is that?" She asked as Mrs. Weasley left the room.  
  
"Because you're so much like your Dad; he never had good balance when he was dizzy." He told her as he too left.  
  
*  
  
"Hermione!" Harry cheered as Hermione showed up at the house a few days before school started.  
  
"Harry," She said happily as she brought him into a hug. "How are you?" She asked as her voice dramatically fell.  
  
Harry looked at her for a minute, utterly confused. Why was she so worried.? She gave him a searching look when it dawned on him. She wanted to know how he was doing since Sirius died. To be truthfully honest, he didn't think of Sirius much since he got her. He did have the few sad moments whenever Remus would tell Nikki how much she was like her parents, he would think of him then but not constantly.  
  
"I'm getting by," He said with a half hearted smile. Hermione gave him a warm smile as Ron and Ginny came bounding down the stairs to greet her. Hermione settled herself into the room where Ginny slept, as Harry went upstairs with Ron to Nikki's room. He pushed on the door and saw that he couldn't budge it. Ron noticed and tried to help but they were unsuccessful. Baffled, they decided to look for one of the twins to Apparate into her room to make sure everything was okay, it was nearing supper and they should be getting off work soon.  
  
Ron came back up the stairs with George while Harry still tried to move the door. With a pop, George went up to the room. They heard George's voice and something being scrapped across the floor. The door opened and the two walked in. Nikki was sitting on her trunk with another one opened.  
  
"What is it Nikki?" Harry asked as he looked in the opened one.  
  
"It's Dad's," She said with a sad tone to her voice, "I found pictures," she said as her mouth dropped as if the hinges broke. "And I have to find Remus" she said as she tore out of the room. The three followed her and found her in the room with Buckbeak. She shoved the picture under his nose.  
  
"You were a Teddy Bear?" She asked as his ears went pink.  
  
"There are actually pictures from that?" He croaked before he started laughing. "At least I don't look as bad as James."  
  
Harry walked over and looked at the photo, there was Remus, Sirius and his father dressed up in the most ridiculous outfits he had ever seen. Remus was in an oversized Teddy Bear costume that resembled footy pajamas, Sirius was dressed up as an Angel adorned with large golden wings and his dad was dressed as a large heart with an arrow going through it.  
  
"It was Valentines Day," Remus explained "and the girls dressed us up. They charmed it so we couldn't take them off before midnight and when it was midnight, we fell down the stairs and we were so happy the charm had worn off; we tore the clothes off in front of everyone." He said as he turned a deeper shade of red. "Well, I do believe that it's time to eat," Remus said as she left the room.  
  
The four followed him, trying their best not to laugh. They entered the dining room and sat down, Ginny and Hermione soon showed up and sat with them. Nikki and Hermione introduced themselves as Hermione gave her a few odd looks, obviously slightly spooked that Sirius had a family. Neither of them ever really asked about Sirius family; they knew that he didn't like them much, seeing as how they disowned him for his choices. But they never really thought that he had his own family.  
  
"Do you have any children that we should be aware of Remus?" Hermione asked over supper.  
  
"No," Remus sighed. "She died before we got married."  
  
Hermione gasped, realizing that she said something that she shouldn't have. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's alright, I suppose that I could have still had a family, I just never did want to look for anybody else." He said. "But now I have one." He told her as he gave Nikki a smile who grinned back.  
  
*  
  
Harry could feel someone shaking him; he opened his eyes slightly looking at the clock.  
  
"It's six o'clock," he informed them. "This has better be good." He rolled over and saw Nikki standing over him. "Oh it is good" he grinned.  
  
"Shut up; Dumbledore is here, he wants to see us." She told him as she left. Harry threw off his covers and went downstairs. He went in to the dining room where Fred and George sat, finishing up their breakfast. Mrs. Weasley brought in a pot of tea and a stack of toast.  
  
"Thank you. I'm sorry that I woke the two of you up so early but I wish that you come to school today." He said as Nikki covered her slice with peanut butter.  
  
"Why" she asked as she continued to hide the bread. "It starts tomorrow"  
  
"I am aware, but this shall give you a chance to get to know the school, get sorted, and there is a Death Eater meeting tonight so I figured that the two of you could start you Occlumenly and see if it helps you block out the meeting better."  
  
"Alright," Nikki said before biting in to her slice of toast. "I'll go get my stuff then."  
  
She darted up the stairs with Harry behind her, stopping several stairs before she did. He slipped into his room and changed out of his pajamas. He quickly wrote Ron a note and gathered up all his stuff. He saw Nikki walking down with her trunk floating behind her as she guided it with her hands. They stopped in the living room as they waited for Dumbledore.  
  
*  
  
"Alright then Miss Black, please sit her on the stool," Mrs. McGonagall requested as she gestured to the old stool that at least a thousand of kids have already sat on in order to be sorted. She picked up the hat that Harry had been sorted by and placed it on her head. Harry saw the hat crease if self as if it was in deep thought.  
  
"Are you sure." Nikki asked the hat who was talking to her in her head. "What that's like. You have got to be kidding, there's no way I do that.. Yeah, yes, no... It's a skating injury! Does everyone have to ask? Sorry I yelled... You sure? Alright then, as long as you're sure."  
  
"Mrs. McGonagall, see that another bed is added in the Gryffindor dorms for her." It told her as it was removed from her head.  
  
Harry smiles as he helped her off the stool. Mrs. McGonagall told the two of them that they had to think up the password to enter the Gryffindor common room. Harry led her out of the room and explained to her all the things that she needed to know in order to get around the school fine.  
  
"Watch out for that step," Harry warned as he helped her jump it. "People sink in to it. That one there creaks when you step on it. Oh and be careful of the stairs, they like to change."  
  
"Really," Nikki asked. Harry spun around and saw Nikki on the same staircase he just got off of but was moving itself to the other side of the hall. "Hold on a second." She told him as she ran around the balcony and ended up with Harry once more. "More warning next time would be appreciated."  
  
*  
  
"What about 'Ohwa Tigu Siam'?" Nikki suggested as they stood in front of the Fat Lady, trying to think up a password.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked, never hearing of such a thing.  
  
"It's a chant... kind of. You're supposed to say it faster every time you say it and eventually you'll be saying 'Oh what a goose I am'." She grinned.  
  
"Ohwa Tigu Siam it is!" Harry told the Fat Lady who smiled.  
  
The two walked into the common room and flopped down on to the couch.  
  
"Are you tired too?" Nikki asked Harry as she yawned.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said as he tried to stifle a yawn. "I'm sure they won't mind if we take a quick nap before lunch."  
  
Nikki nodded in agreement as she rested her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry wrapped his arm around her as the two drifted off.  
  
*  
  
A/N: There we are, after quite a while of waiting here is the next chapter, and I do believe that it is longer then the one before it. Well, I finished another one of my stories, a few more and I'll post one of the other fics I'm contemplating on. Who knows, maybe I'll start to write Hidden Surprises (j/k Poet.) Anyways, there it was, you read it. What do you think? I know exactly what I'm putting in the next chapter. (Ha ha ha) but it will take a while. It's the middle of exam week and Cheer Competitions are next month. But I will find time for all of you.  
  
Heero's Girl - yeah, I hope that you didn't mind I used your 'bow chika bow bow' I don't think that there are many spelling/grammar mistakes this time but if you want; you always can be my BETA reader. 


	9. Waking up

Harry sat on the couch, only half awake. He could feel Nikki stir under his arm. He was rather comfortable as he was and didn't mind if he got frozen like that. He heard Nikki scream and someone shriek after wards.  
  
"Nikki," Harry asked as his eyes opened quickly. "Are you okay?"  
  
"What was that?" She asked as she buried her face in him and clutched onto his arm.  
  
"What did it look like?" Harry asked her as he scanned the room.  
  
"Big eyes and big ears." She mumbled into him.  
  
"Dobby?" He asked as he saw the tip of two ears poking out from behind on the armchair.  
  
"Mr. Harry Potter sir," Dobby said as he came from behind the furniture. "Dobby is very sorry for scaring Miss. Dobby didn't mean to scare anyone. He was just seeing if it was you and who Miss was."  
  
"Come here Dobby," Harry said as he beckoned. Dobby seemed half terrified half joyous. "Dobby, this is Nikki, Nikki, this is Dobby the House Elf."  
  
"You seem nothing like Kreature" She said as she shook his small hand. "You're a lot happier."  
  
"That is because likes his job Miss." Dobby said with a wide grin on his face. "Dobby wants nothing more then to work. Dobby is up her Sir and Miss, because Professor Dumbledore sir wanted Dobby to see if you were hungry. There is lunch downstairs."  
  
"Sounds good," Harry said as he and Nikki stood up and stretched. "I'm feeling rather hungry." Dobby smiled as he led them to the main floor before scurrying back down to the kitchens.  
  
"Odd little thing now isn't he?" Nikki asked as they entered the Hall. They sat at the same table as Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, the four were the only ones eating but it didn't seem like the House Elves were informed. Harry started to dish himself some food as Nikki stared at the food.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know what I want to eat." She said as she turned towards him. "I'm not use to such a wide variety."  
  
Harry laughed as he handed her a plate with some food on it he dished up. She smiled thanks and began to eat the food. Dumbledore and McGonagall began to talk about classes with Nikki, seeing as how she would not have a wand, they were concerned that it would be harder for her. But she convinced them that it was the challenge that made her want to learn.  
  
"If only our other student were like this" Professor McGonagall sighed.  
  
*  
  
"I'm so full," Harry said as he flopped back down onto the couch after lunch.  
  
"I know how you feel," Nikki said as she sat down beside him. "I think I ate too much."  
  
She put her head on his shoulder as he put her arm around her shoulder and began to unconsciously finger her hair. He looked down at her; she was looking into the fire like she was on the first night she was at the house with him. Harry stopped playing with her hair and she looked up at him. Those blue eyes, how he loved them; they were so pure. Harry began to lean down towards him as she lowered her self with him until she was lying down on the couch. He leaned in closer and felt his lips hit something. He looked at her and she hand her hand between their lips, with hers pursed together and her eyes looking apologetic.  
  
"No," She said as she gently shook her head. "Not now."  
  
Harry lifted his head slightly and looked at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's just that I went from living in an orphanage, learning from books and where the only one who cared about me is adopted to somewhere where everyone loves me and I feel like I have a family. And now I'm at school and I have you here with me. It's just so mind boggling to me. Like it's not real, although it is; I know it is because when I'm with you. I feel like the orphanage was just a bad dream that I'm waking up from." She took a shuddering breath as her eyes became glossy. "And until I feel like I'm not waking up anymore, I don't want to do anything too drastic."  
  
"It's alright," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I know what you mean, that's how I felt when I first learned that I was a wizard." He pulled her up to a sitting position as she laid her head back on his shoulder.  
  
"Thanks for understanding." She said as she looked up at him with a shy smile.  
  
*  
  
"Now Nikki," Dumbledore said as she moved everything in his office aside with a sweep of his wand. "I'm going to do the spell on you for a few minutes just so you can get the feel of it. Alright?" Nikki nodded her head slowly as Dumbledore raised his wand. "Legilimens"  
  
Harry watched as Nikki became tense for a moment but soon; relaxed. She had her eyes shut firmly and appeared to be in deep concentration. After a minute or so, Dumbledore finished the spell and she opened her eyes and stared transfixed on Dumbledore.  
  
"Are you ready to try to repel it now? If you are just try your best to clear your mind or if you're having trouble with that you could always try to attack me." Harry saw her nod before she became enchanted once more by Dumbledore. Her eyes were closed once more and she seemed to be reciting something. Dumbledore lowered his wand and gave her a half hearted smile.  
  
"You defiantly didn't clear your mind but you didn't give me any useful information either." He said as she smiled.  
  
"What did she do?" Harry asked, curious about what she had just shown Dumbledore.  
  
"She recited the copyrights from on e of her text books; ingenious never the less, but a bit too boring for my tastes. Shall we try again?" She nodded as they tried several more times, Nikki never tried to stop him but she didn't give away anything either. She would say tongue twisters, rhymes that made no sense or useless information.  
  
"So butterflies taste with their feet, I'll remember that." Dumbledore told her. "Harry would you like a turn?"  
  
Harry got up as Nikki took his seat. He stood where Nikki was once standing and took out his wand.  
  
"I do believe that you already know what this feels like so I see no use in doing it to you again as a demonstration; Legilimens." Harry felt his knees lock as scenes from the past year flashed before his eyes. He saw him meeting with the DA in the room of Requirement, standing in front of Snape as he took his Occlumency lessons, seeing Sirius falling behind the veil, meeting Nikki, almost kissing Nikki all those times.  
  
"Are you alright Harry?" Nikki asked as he felt the spell being lifted like a heavy weight. He looked around and saw her and Dumbledore looking at him. He dumbly nodded his head as he asked to try again. Harry saw what he could remember of his childhood flash in his mind, he urged his mind to think of white; like a blank piece of paper and after ten seconds of struggling he managed it.  
  
"Very good Harry, but you need to get quicker." Dumbledore told him as he sat down his wand. "If you two wish you can always perform it on each other to practice it."  
  
They nodded as they left the office and back towards the common room; not before stopping to get food though.  
  
*  
  
A/N: I'm sorry it's a short chapter, really, I am. I was working on my other stories and a chapter for one of my friends stories (over 17 pages now...). I'll make the next one longer. I promise I will. Anyways, please review. 


	10. The Feast

"What else did they say?" Harry asked Nikki the next morning as they laid on the couch together.  
  
"Well," She said before she paused. "All I saw was Snape saying that he found me. But it would be too risky to take me seeing as how I'm under Dumbledore's watch. But I only saw that because I forgot to clear my mind before I drifted back off to sleep. After that I cleared my mind and I didn't see anymore; but I could still hear them I just couldn't make them out. It's harder to do it when you're already asleep."  
  
"Try not to fall out of bed again." Harry advised as she closed her eyes. Harry looked down at her and smiled. "Did you tell Dumbledore?"  
  
"Yes; and why are you looking at me?" Nikki asked taking Harry by surprise.  
  
"I forgot that you could see with your eyes closed." Harry breathed "Kind of scary."  
  
"Oh you think that I don't know that?" She asked sarcastically, "How much longer until we have to be downstairs?"  
  
"Another ten minutes" he said as he checked the grandfather clock.  
  
"Oh, and I told Dumbledore that I'm going to be going as Bella instead of Black since that was my last name on TV. I mean, if someone who comes here watched and is a fan, they'd expect me to be Bella." Nikki explained as she tried to stifle a yawn.  
  
Harry and Nikki found themselves downstairs not too later with the bustling crowd walking around the hall talking with their friends from other houses. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione made their way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down with the two.  
  
"How was the ride?" Nikki asked, seeing as how she didn't get the chance to go on the ride before, she seemed excited.  
  
"Um, well...." Ron stammered as the other two girls looked lost for words. "It's was... Well, it's like..... " He continued to stammer as Nikki nodded dubiously. "I can't put it into words."  
  
"So I've noticed." Nikki smirked. "I'm sure it's no different from a car drive."  
  
"Pretty much," Hermione confirmed as two Ravenclaws walked up.  
  
"Ask her Shanna," the smaller one ordered as she pushed the bigger one ahead of her.  
  
"Now really," Shanna snapped. "Excuse me but are you Nikki Bella?"  
  
"Yes I am," Nikki said as she gave Harry a quick sideways glance.  
  
"There; I asked," Shanna said to the smaller Ravenclaw who whispered something to her. "Fine but you owe me. My sister wants to know if she could have your autograph," she said seeming to think that it was stupid to be the dictator of a twelve year old.  
  
"Sure," Nikki said taken slightly aback as she took the parchment the little Raven claw handed her. "What's your name?"  
  
"Mara; you and Mike visited my figure skating class once. You said you liked my camel jump." Mara said shyly.  
  
"Well, there you go Mara, maybe this winter me and you could go skating on the pond." She said as she handed it back. Shanna escorted an ecstatic looking Mara back to their table as the first years were being ushered in. "I am so glad I told Dumbledore that I'm sticking with Bella."  
  
The first years got sorted and found their places at the tables; much like everyone before them did. Dumbledore rose to begin the start of term feast; Harry found himself not listening to the aged wizard, he was just saying what was forbidden, when tryouts were and if they needed any help to ask their house prefect.  
  
"Now, I am pleased to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; who traveled here from Canada just to be with us; Professor C. Soleil."  
  
Harry saw Hermione's jaw drop in disbelief as a charming woman, who looked no older then twenty five, walked up the center isle and sat down at the end of the table with the other teachers. She pushed her blond hair behind her ears and smiled at the crowd of students before her. The food appeared on the tables from the kitchens below and everyone started to eat merrily.  
  
"I can't believe her!" Hermione mumbled to herself as she began to dish herself some soup.  
  
"What's wrong?" Nikki asked as she surveyed the variety of food.  
  
"Celine; she's my cousin and she never told me that she was a witch, and then she comes waltzing in here as our new teacher." She explained as she began to butter her roll. "Why didn't she ever tell me that she was a witch?"  
  
"Did you ever tell her you were a witch?" Nikki asked as she stabbed a potato and placed it on her plate.  
  
"Well, no but that's because I thought that she was a Muggle, after all my parents are both Muggles. So I just figured that there was no magic in my family; beside me of course."  
  
"Maybe she thought that you weren't a witch either" Harry told her. "It's logical"  
  
"I suppose..." Hermione trailed before she stuffed her mouth full of food like Ron.  
  
"I never knew you had family in Canada, Hermione" Ginny brought up as she began to cut up her steak.  
  
"Yeah, I usually don't see them very often. It's just Celine's family that lives there, everybody else is over here." She said as she swallowed her food. "But still you'd think that the subject would have come up last time I was there."  
  
"You would think," Ron said in the rare moment that there wasn't food in his mouth.  
  
They finished consuming their supper and dessert as their feast ended. Dumbledore stood and gave his closing announcements before everyone left to their dorms. Hermione tried to reach her cousin but it was in vain. They reached the portrait and Hermione read out the password as Harry, Nikki, and a few other Gryffindors laughed.  
  
"What is so funny?" Hermione asked as the smaller people went in first.  
  
"Nothing Prefect Hermione," Nikki assured as Ron snorted. The five were the last ones to get inside and found it deserted. They parted and went upstairs to their own dorms but not before Nikki gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek good night.  
  
A/N: There we go. Sorry that it's short and that it took so long to post. I was gone this weekend and Monday visiting family; so – no computer. I promise to have the next one longer but I can't promise that it will be up sooner. So please just bear with me. I'm going to be working on my bed room next week – paint, floors, moving the furniture down 2 ½ flights of stairs and what not – so thanks for understanding (if you will).  
  
Heero's Girl – I'm a fan of the part where Harry woke up too, that's just my personalitly. I re-read this one a few times so I don't think that I have any major mistakes. As for the part where Nikki was talking with Harry on the couch, she basically saying that before she was in an orphanage where Mike was the only one who cared about her and he was adopted. But she now living with Remus, the Weasleys, ect and it just seems odd that everyone seems to care about her.  
  
Poet – I'm glad you updated. Bravo my little friend. And I'll have Shanna's description in the next chappie. 


	11. Classes

"Are you going to be at the pitch tomorrow?" Katie Bell asked Harry the next day during breakfast.  
  
"What for" Harry asked through a mouthful of oatmeal.  
  
"Quidditch tryouts, of course. We have to get started early this year; we need to find people good enough to fill in for Fred and George and Angelina. The ones who were filling in for Fred and George last year quit. They didn't think that they were up to snuff, and they weren't to be truthful." She added before she left.  
  
Ron handed Harry a schedule that Professor McGonagall just handed him. He took a quick glance at it; noting that he had Defense first thing this morning and it was a double class, he finished his breakfast and went to wait outside the door for class to start. Ron, Hermione, and Nikki soon joined him in his waiting as they compared classes. They all had Care of Magical Creature after lunch and Harry and Ron had a free period where as Hermione had Arithmancy and Nikki had Healing. Celine came strolling up the hall and opened the door letting them in. She ignored Hermione as she laid her things on her desk and began to root through her bag. They picked their seats as Hermione went to talk to her cousin who seemed to be trying to ignore her only giving her two word answers.  
  
The rest of the class showed up as the bell rang and Hermione sat down between Nikki and Harry angrily as Celine stated class.  
  
"Okay, can you tell me where you are in your studies; I'm not sure if you're on the same plan as Canada. Actually, I doubt that you're on the same plan." She requested as she sat on her desk.  
  
"We're not sure ourselves where we are at, Miss" Hermione said with her hand up. "Our previous Professor wasn't very adequate. All we did was read from a book; we didn't practice anything at all."  
  
"Nothing" Celine gasped. "As in rien"  
  
"Yeah," Hermione nodded. "She didn't believe in using magic."  
  
"Oh," Professor Soleil breathed as if something dawned on her. "Umbridge?"  
  
"Yeah," Ron confirmed. "How'd you know?"  
  
"I had her as substitute once; we were supposed to give oral presentations on a spell we learned on our own and then we had to demonstrate it but she wouldn't let us. So; before we begin do you have any questions?"  
  
"Professor Soleil, where from Canada are you from?" Parvati asked.  
  
"Cape Breton. I grew up in Port Hawkesbury and they get some of the worse snow storms and snow drifts but the best summers and I have a summer house at the Mira. Yes, Dean."  
  
"What's on your ankles Miss," He asked trying to peer at them.  
  
"Oh, it's just my tattoos," She said as she pulled up her red robe to reveal a tattoo of a sun on one of her ankles and one of a moon on the other. "It's for my name. Celine is a French name meaning 'Moon' and Soleil is French for 'Sun'."  
  
"Professor," Harry said with his hand raised. "Are we going to get to DO magic?"  
  
"Of course, but please don't call me Professor. We never did in Port Hawkesbury, it just seemed too formal. We would either call them by their first names or say Miss Soleil, or whatever their last name was. And the teachers never did call us Miss or Mister.... It's just seems odd; we used first names. Makes the teacher/student age gap seem smaller. Now let's get started. Who can tell me the incantation for a freezing spell?"  
  
*  
  
"Gather round everybody." Katie commanded the next night in the Quidditch pitch. "Now, everybody trying out for Beaters, go to the right; everyone that wants to be a Chaser goes to the left."  
  
Harry and Ron watched as the hopefuls were given a pep talk about what they were expected to do in order to be chosen. The chasers were first to fly, Ron took his place in front of the goal post as Ginny took the Quaffle. Ginny was doing much better then the other two she had to work with; they descended after five minutes as the other group tried. Katie buried her face in her hands as they continuously dropped the Quaffle and tried to throw it from half way across the pitch.  
  
"This is hopeless; might as well try the Beaters." She sighed as she beckoned to the Chasers to come back down. She pointed to two of the five Beaters indicating to them to try their luck. The first three Beaters were almost as pathetic as the Chasers although the fourth was exceptionally good.  
  
"Your turn," Katie sighed as she pointed to Nikki who was pulling her hair back out of her face. "We'll just give you one Bludger...."  
  
"Why" Nikki asked as she picked up one of the school's brooms.  
  
"Because there's only one of you" Katie pointed out.  
  
"Point being" Nikki asked as she mounted her broom. "I'm sure that I'll be fine."  
  
"Fine," Katie said as Nikki flew up with the bat in her hands. Katie released the two Bludgers as Nikki batted them away from her and hit the designated targets. Harry saw Katie nodding in approval as Nikki moved one of the Bludgers away from her as she swung backwards and hit the other one as she turned back around, swinging forwards. Katie called her down, saying that she was done.  
  
"What's your name?" Katie asked as she surveyed her.  
  
"Nikki Bella," Nikki told Katie as she bit her bottom lip.  
  
"Bella.... Bella... That sounds familiar; do I know your parents?"  
  
"I doubt it; they're dead" Nikki said blankly as Katie gasped and cover her mouth in embarrassment.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know.... When did it happen?" She asked a bit more tenderly.  
  
"Its okay, how could you have known? They died when I was little; I was raised in a Muggle orphanage ever since." Nikki told her as Katie nodded in acknowledgement and Nikki went back to going the group of people who tried out.  
  
Katie called over what was left of her team as the deliberated on who should join them on the team.  
  
"I liked Swami and Nikki, they were great Beaters." Katie said almost immediately.  
  
"What Swami the one with the streaked hair?" Ron asked as he looked back over at the other group.  
  
"Yeah," Alicia confirmed. "And I liked Ginny for our other Chaser. She was the only one who kept hold to the Quaffle, let alone scored."  
  
"Harry," Katie asked, seeing if he agreed. He nodded back to her as she clapped her hands. "It's unanimous then."  
  
They followed her towards the group of people laughing amongst them selves as Katie took a deep breath.  
  
"We've decided that our new Chaser would be Ginny Weasley," the failed chasers applauded her as she grinned, "and our new Beaters will be Swami Peterson and Nikki Bella. Thank you everybody for trying out; you're free to leave but I'd like the team to stay behind for a minute."  
  
The Stadium quickly cleared as the seven formed a circle in the middle of the pitch.  
  
"Well," Katie said as she drew her robe around her, "Congratulations. Um... Nikki is there anyway that you can get a broom of your own, if you can't its okay, it's just that our school brooms are pretty horrible."  
  
"Yeah, I can, just give me a day or so to find a good one. I'll just have to go to my vault at Gringotts, and take out a bit more."  
  
"Are you sure" Katie asked worriedly.  
  
"I'm an orphan, not poor." Nikki reassured. "Heck, I'm not even an orphan anymore. Or at least not now, we'll see how long this one last."  
  
"Alright, Swami; is there anyway that you can work on you aim just a bit more? You were hitting the targets but not dead on."  
  
"I know how she can improve on her aim," Nikki said, "Just leave it to me."  
  
"Alright then, I can't think of anything else we have to go over so let's just go back in." Katie proposed as everyone started to leave.  
  
"Harry, can I talk to you for a second." Nikki requested as he waved to Ron and Ginny to go ahead.  
  
"Sure, what is it?" He asked as she wringed her hands.  
  
"Can you help me fly? That was my second time on a broom and I'm sure if you noticed but I just flew up and then back down, that's all that Mike taught me to do. And I know that you're good at it...."  
  
"Sure Nikki," Harry said, cutting her off. "Meet here tomorrow night okay."  
  
*  
  
Harry sat in the Defense classroom coping down the notes on the board from what they have been doing this class. It was the last class of the day and he was to help Nikki with her flying after supper. He finished scribbling as the bell range indicating them to leave.  
  
"Don't for get to bring you wands on Monday; we're going to start with a few evasive techniques. Hermione, can you stay for a minute?" Celine asked as the class filed out. Harry and Ron rushed to pack their stuff in their bags as Nikki went to drop off her stuff. "You can stay. I know that you're her best friends; besides it's not like it's something life threatening."  
  
The three sat back down in their desk as Celine paced the front of the classroom; thinking of what she should say.  
  
"So, how are you and Jake?" Hermione asked as Celine turned towards her with a pained look in her eyes.  
  
"That's what I want to talk to you about." She said as she rooted through her bag and pulled out a piece of white folded paper and handed it to Hermione.  
  
"It's a wedding invitation," Hermione remarked as she looked at it, "And it's tomorrow."  
  
"It was supposed to be tomorrow, but it got called off."  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked sadly.  
  
"You can't marry a man in Azkaban." Celine said blankly as Hermione gasped.  
  
"Why is he in Azkaban?" She screamed.  
  
"He's a Death Eater. He tortured Mom and Dad for information about InterMin; they didn't make it." Celine's voice broke as Hermione took to crying. "They're getting buried tomorrow if you want to come. Your parents didn't want me to tell you until the day before, they were afraid it would distract you from your studies."  
  
Hermione nodded through her tears as Celine pulled her into a sobbing hug. "Are you going to be okay?" Celine asked her little cousin who was crying and nodding in her shoulders. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."  
  
Hermione murmured an 'okay' as she walked out the room with Harry and Ron's help. They brought her up to the Common Room, deserted thanks to supper, as she tried to calm herself down.  
  
"You alright," Ron asked as he sat beside her, she shuddered a yes. "Do you want to stay up here for a bit?" She nodded as a few more tears fell.  
  
"I can't believe that they're dead." She cried. "I mean, I just saw them in July. And they were alive."  
  
"That's what it felt like with Sirius" Harry remarked.  
  
"How did you get over it" She asked through bloodshot eyes.  
  
"Making peace with it; life isn't meant to be dreaded but to be lived. The only way you can do it is by accepting it and start focusing on the future."  
  
"Or Nikki," Ron said as he shot Harry an accusing look, causing Hermione to laugh.  
  
"I don't think that Nikki's Hermione's type." Harry smirked as Hermione smiled.  
  
"I'm sure that I'll be fine next week, I just have to get over the shock." She assured as the got up to go to the Great Hall to eat.  
  
*  
  
A/N: (looks outside) Oh Look! MORE SNOW! Good, because I was getting worried that we wouldn't have any after that five day weekend that the snow storm caused. Thank goodness, after all I'm able to walk through the giant snowdrifts so they mustn't be deep enough. (Ends rant)  
  
Sorry 'bout that; just a little snowbound. Anyways, here's a longer chapter like I promised. (Poe, I'm sorry about the lack of Shanna) I should have the next chapter up soon after I update Nothing's Fair again. But first; I must celebrate Dad's birthday (CAKE!)  
  
Heero's Girl – I'm glad that you understand the past thing now, I know it was confusing. I'll fix that later. I'll try not to have so many short chapters for your reading pleasure. 


	12. Trainning

"So you already know the basics right" Harry asked Nikki who was holding her new broomstick she acquired from Dumbledore.  
  
"Yeah, it's just moving that I have trouble with," she admitted.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked, being a natural himself never experienced trouble flying.  
  
"Well, I tried it one and I was doing fine until this huge dragonfly bit me. I went to swat him away and I ended up falling off. But don't worry; I was above water when I fell so I was virtually fine," she said when she saw the state of shock on his face. "I'm just afraid of falling again."  
  
"We're just going to take this slow okay, get on and float a few feet off the ground," Nikki slipped on and did as she was told. "Good now I'm going to take a few steps and I want you to go to me alright." He said as he began to walk but got caught on something. He turned and saw his cloak trapped within Nikki's hand.  
  
"If I die you're coming with me," she cautioned as Harry laughed. He freed himself and took his place. Nikki slowly floated towards him muttering under her breath and eyes shut tight. She gently bumped into him, finally opening her eyes.  
  
"Move up," he said as she stared at him blankly. "Move up on your broom,"  
  
"Why," She asked as she moved higher up on her broom, allowing for there to be room behind her.  
  
"Because, I'm coming on with you" He said as he mounted behind her. "And I'm going to show you what it's like to rally fly."  
  
Before Nikki could protest, Harry hand his hands on the broom in front of her, kicked off and was at least twenty feet in the air. Nikki's grip tightened as they continued to rise. "Oh Dear God,"  
  
"Don't worry," Harry comforted. "You're fine,"  
  
He began to circle the pitch, and gradually began to go faster and change the flying pattern, until they were going around the pitch without rhyme or reason. He slowly took his hands off the stick and placed them behind Nikki, allowing her to steer it herself. He allowed it to go on for several minutes until he brought it up.  
  
"Oh, my gosh I am," Nikki gasped, obviously not realizing that she was in control, seeing that she was, she gracefully brought them back to Earth. "Never do that again," She told him. "I was dead terrified up there."  
  
"Do what?" He asked, finding it odd that she was scolding him for helping her learn to fly.  
  
"Fly me upside down. If I want to I will, alright," She asked as he nodded. A strong wind picked up, chilling them through their cloaks as they decided to continue tomorrow night.  
  
*  
  
Ron, Ginny, Harry and Nikki sat at the Gryffindor table the next day; Hermione was at the funeral with Celine who was missing from the High Table. Ron was snorting into his toast as Harry told them about the lessons last night.  
  
"It's not funny Ron" Nikki snapped. "I was terrified."  
  
"So you never actually flew in you life," He sniggered.  
  
"I did to, I just fell is all." She informed as an owl dropped a piece of parchment in front of Nikki and Harry. Harry unrolled it and read it to the other three.  
  
"Occlumency lessons tonight, Dumbledore's Office at seven. I guess we'll have to fly some other night." He handed the letter over to Nikki who looked it over.  
  
"It says seven AM, Harry, that's now" She said as he stared blankly at him. "You go get your wand, I'll tell him you'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
The two left the Great Hall calmly, not wanting to make a scene, but once they were out, they took off in different directions. Harry ran up the marble stairs as Nikki ran down the hall to get to the office. Wondering why Dumbledore wanted them so early in the day, Harry tore out of the Gryffindor common room and jumped down the stair three at a time. He skidded in front of the stone gargoyle and mentally cursed; he needed the password. The gargoyle, however, noticed him and allowed him to pass. Taken slightly aback, Harry stood on the moving stairwell which brought him slowly up to the office. He opened the door and saw Nikki slumped over the back of the chair with a blank, expressionless face.  
  
"What are you doing?" Harry asked attentively as he sat down by her.  
  
"Dumbledore is sending me back to the orphanage after lunch to get my stuff; I never had to get my stuff before Harry. Only kids who have been actually adopted are sent back for their stuff." Harry saw a sad smile creep across her face. "I'm actually adopted"  
  
"Of course you are, Remus told you so." Harry said.  
  
"Lots of people told me so Harry; it's just so real now."  
  
"Sorry that I am late," Dumbledore said merrily as he entered his office. "I just had to get a second helping of those delicious pancakes. I trust that my guard allowed you to enter." They nodded as Dumbledore clapped his hand together. "Then we'll begin as soon as our guest gets here"  
  
"Guest" Harry asked, intrigued by the fact they were going to have someone else participating but suddenly revolted thinking that it could be Snape. Harry's prays were answered as there was a firm knock on the door and Mad- Eyed Moody came clambering inside.  
  
"Moody, welcome. I trust that you brought it," Dumbledore greeted as he helped the old Auror lift a small crate. The knick knacks on Dumbledore's desk scurried out of the way as they laid the crate upon it and opened it up easily. Two large glass orbs were concealed inside the box. Dumbledore lifted them out one at a time and handed one each to Harry and Nikki.  
  
"Place both of your hands on either sides of it, and I want you to think about your life up to this point. Think about all of your memories." Moody advised. The two nodded as they closed their eyes. Harry began to think about his life at number four Privet Drive; being bullied by his cousin and his friends, being trapped in the cupboard, getting his letters and not being able to read them. Then, he suddenly thought about where he was, Hogwarts; his new home. He thought about Hermione and Ron and everything they've been through, flying in Quidditch, studying. He felt a sense of sadness in the pit of his stomach as he thought about Sirius but it was soon vanquished as he remembered spending time in Hogsmead and at Hagrid's hut with his friends.  
  
"Alright you can stop now," Dumbledore's voice wafted in like a daydream. Harry slowly opened his eyes and noticed that his glass orb was rather heavy and had a cloud of grey smoke swirling around inside.  
  
"Now, let's see what you have inside..." Dumbledore said as he touched Harry's orb and the smoke seeped out and forming a screen. Harry saw all of his thoughts swimming in front of him, as did Nikki, Moody and Dumbledore. The smoke began to break away as his thoughts lessened.  
  
"Let's see what you have Nikki," he said as he walked over to her as she pulled the sphere away defensively.  
  
"No," she said steadily. "I don't want you to see. I'll break this on the ground if that's what it takes."  
  
"Very well, then, go ahead." Dumbledore said casually as she raised it high above her head, only to set it back down on her lap.  
  
"Why don't you care if I break this?" She asked.  
  
"You're a pretty cautious one now aren't you. You'd make a rather fine Auror yourself, what were you planning on doing once you left here?" Moody asked with a gnarled grin.  
  
"I was going to become a Healer, and I did think of becoming and Auror. Now why is it okay if I break this?" Nikki repeated.  
  
"Because your memories will still be seen," He replied smoothly. "There is no way out of it Nikki," he told her as he prodded it and the smoke began to seep out.  
  
Harry watched with interest as the smoke screen began to show a small girl, around the age of five, sitting in a small room quietly crying as she tried to hide herself behind a book. It changed to the girl once again, older now, opening a book with the words 'From P.A.D' written in it. Nikki when she was seven hugging an unmistakable Mike goodbye as a tall lady took him by the hand and led him down a hall. He saw them skating on the ice at several different ages. Rain falling down and something in the middle of the street steaming; an ever changing face that seemed to be saying the same words; "It's not that we don't love you, we just know that there's someone out there who will love you more." The last thing Harry seen was him and her sitting at a table outside of a café before the cloud broke.  
  
"Thank you for the books Professor," Nikki said quietly. "They were good."  
  
"So you figured it out," He smiled. "The one you remembered was the first I sent you was it not?"  
  
"Yeah, 'The Joys of Sorcery', very interesting" She nodded. "But what was that whole thing for."  
  
"Your memories are your weakness," Dumbledore put simply. "If you wish to become strong you must get over them and be able to separate them from reality."  
  
"Why is that Professor," Harry asked as Dumbledore gave him a small smile.  
  
"For some people, all they have is memories. And if they were to loose one, it would definitely be heartbreaking. When they see one of their memories but it's going differently, they are worried that something bad is going to happen. So they begin to panic, the only way to overcome that is to know what is true and what isn't."  
  
* Harry and Nikki stood outside in the Quidditch pitch waiting for Moody who went to get somebody. A mahogany haired Ravenclaw, who they quickly recognized as Shanna, came striding in behind him. Shanna tucked a few strands of her hair out of her creamy colored face to reveal her soft brown eyes.  
  
"Shanna here is joining us, I knew her parents for years and they wanted me to train her if I ever got around to training others." Moody said as he clapped his hand on her shoulder. "First we're going to check you physical strength."  
  
"What does that have to do with Occlumency" Nikki asked as Shanna stood beside her.  
  
"The strong of mind, the strong of body; now you have five minutes, use it wisely." Moody said as he took a swig from his hip flask.  
  
"So how's it going," Shanna asked as she and Nikki sat on the ground.  
  
"Good so far;" Nikki said as she began to stretch her legs. "Why do your parents want you to be trained by Moody?"  
  
"My parents were trained by him when they were learning to become Aurors and they wanted me to become one." She explained as she too began her stretching routine.  
  
"Your parents are Aurors," Harry said as he sat down beside them. "That's pretty cool."  
  
"Not in the summer. They're always moving around with their jobs. I barely get to see them during the break so I pretty much take care of Mara. It's not until I get to school that I'm actually stable. But when they get to stay with us, we always do something. Like go to the beach, you know."  
  
"Are you in to Quidditch," Harry asked as he tried his best to copy the girls.  
  
"I'm not really into it but I do play it," She said as she stretched out her back. "So does Mara. She made it on to the team this year; we're both Chasers."  
  
"All of you up," Moody commanded as he came out with yet another box. "There's a stack of these fellas over on the other side of the pitch. I want you to carry as many of them as possible from this side of the pitch to the other; starting now!"  
  
*  
  
"Oh I hurt all over," Nikki complained as she stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. "You didn't have to come with me to get my stuff Harry"  
  
"It's all of your things that you've gotten over the years; I think that you'll need some help."  
  
Nikki shook her head as they began to walk down the block; she turned at the corner and led Harry to a low white building. They went inside the orphanage and in to silence. Harry could hear their footsteps echoing like in a hospital. It had an eerie feel to it as he followed her further down the hallway. They pasted a set of closed doors where they could hear laughter and yells that faded away as they went deeper inside. They made it to the room at the very end of the hall as Nikki opened the door to it. The inside of it reminded Harry of his cupboard under the stairs only shabbier. There was a cardboard box in the corner with books and knick knacks inside, a few hooks on the wall where skates were hanging and a roll out mattress that seemed to have seen the end of its days long ago wit a pillow and a blanket covering it.  
  
"Home sweet home eh," Harry commented as Nikki threw her rollerblades and ice skates on top of the books and toped it off with her pillow.  
  
"That's everything," She sighed as she turned around quickly; obviously ashamed with what she grew up with. Harry jogged slightly to keep up with her as the doors they passed earlier busted open. Nikki grabbed Harry and flattened them against the wall as kids of every shape and form came streaming out and went down the hall. The river of children seemed to have thinned out when some other orphans, more their age, stopped in front of him and Nikki.  
  
"What 'cha doing with your stuff witch," the tallest of the group asked as he smacked the box out of her hands. "Did they find you a hole to live in?"  
  
"No," Nikki as she clenched her fist.  
  
The boy smirked as he noticed something on the ground "Well now, what do we have here?"  
  
"Give that back," Nikki commanded as the boys passed around what seemed to be a pet collar, by this time a crowd started to form, enclosing them in a circle.  
  
"Why, you have no use for it," said one of the other boys. "Remember."  
  
"Give it back," She repeated as she yelled. "It's mine"  
  
"Then jump for it," they said as they held it up over her head.  
  
"No," Nikki spat. "Just give me it back."  
  
"What are you going to do, use your magic on us? You know you're not allowed to harm us with your abnormality." He said in a mocking voice as Nikki gave him an icy glare.  
  
Harry was about to step forward when Nikki put out her hand, signaling to stay where he was. She raised her other hand and laid it gently under her throat. "Crire" she said softly as a blue light emerged for a second but soon vanished. She took a cleansing breath before she opened her mouth and screamed. Harry's hands quickly shot to his ears, trying to drown out the noise. Harry opened his eyes, closed from trying to block out the sound, and saw the others in the same state as he was. Nikki continued to yell as if it was coming from the pit of her stomach. The orphans quickly departed, looking for shelter from the yells as Nikki stopped. Nikki said something as she laid her hand back on her throat before she fell to the ground and began to pick up her stuff.  
  
"What was that," Harry asked as she slowly removed his hands from his ears.  
  
"A Banshee spell," Nikki explained as she gathered a stack of letters written on parchment. "It allows the used to be able to yell like a banshee"  
  
Harry handed her the collar that was taken from her as she put everything back in the box. She held the collard in her hands for a moment before she laid it lovingly back in her box.  
  
"What's it from" Harry asked once they got back outside.  
  
"It was Amber's. She was my pet Firefox. She was in my memories earlier," She explained as they reached the corner. "The guys took her from my room and threw her out into the rain; they aren't supposed to be in the rain" She added in a sad tone as they walked down the street. "Her fire ended up getting put out and she died."  
  
"Why didn't you stand up to those guys back there" He asked as the pub came in to view.  
  
"I did before Harry but it was pointless. I was trying to stop them from bulling me by being a bully myself; it wasn't going to make things better, just worst. So I figured to let them idiots, karma will get them in the end." She explained before they went inside to get back to Hogwarts and training.  
  
A/N: It's a bit longer then the other one I think.... Hmmmm. I'm not sure. I'll have to do this quick, I have to baby-sit soon. Aurg... so busy. I didn't expect to finish this so early, well not today at least.  
  
Heero's Girl – It thickened and will continue to do so as the story progresses, and that's for the little vote of confidence on the spelling. It should be good by then end of the story. *helps bop the non-reviewers*  
  
Poet – Why Hello! I'm glad that you're loving it and yes the deaths are sad but that's life.... Or at least the end of life anyways. And I'm proud of this story too, the PHK, CB and Mira (you forgot Mira) do add to it. There isn't a lot with our beloved Island in it. I should have read this to you earlier; it got you on track (lol) 


	13. Halloween

"Anybody" Celine asked as she surveyed the room. "So you mean that you don't know the most important thing you need when you're in trouble."  
  
The Gryffindors sat in the classroom in late October as they leaves outside the school's windows were changing from their lively greens to golden yellows, reds, and fiery oranges. The first Quidditch match of the season has come and gone and Ravenclaw was victorious over Slytherin. By this time everyone was back into the swing of things and Nikki has learned to fly properly.  
  
"A wand," Neville asked as Celine shook her head.  
  
"Knowledge of spells, hexes and charms" Hermione asked only to be told she was wrong. The class stayed silent as they tried to think what it could be.  
  
"Nobody" she asked exasperatedly as she banged her head on the table. "Now really this is something that you should have learned in first year; if not your second."  
  
"Like we said before, your earlier teachers weren't the best; except our teacher from our third year." Lavender spoke up from her seat.  
  
"You need to know how to remain calm and focus." She said simply as everyone looked at her like she was completely insane. "What do you think you already are?"  
  
"Very," Seamus spat as Celine smiled.  
  
"Then would you please come to the front of the class and demonstrate for us." She requested as Seamus did so, walking rather proudly. He stood in front of her desk as she walked towards the door. "Are you ready?"  
  
Seamus nodded as Celine pointed her wand at her chair which turned into hundreds of various bugs and began their way to Seamus who began to scream and flail his arm and jumped on to higher ground. The class broke out into laughter as their teacher returned her chair to its regular state before turning to the class who was still laughing.  
  
"Do you think you could do better Parvarti? What about you Ron?" The laughing suddenly ceased as Seamus returned to his seat. "That's what I thought; so don't criticize what you can't do. Even if you could do it better, we're here to learn what to do, not how to mock. Seamus demonstrated exactly what I hopped he would. He thought that he could but, he evidently couldn't. It's better that he knows that now then when he's looking danger in the eyes."  
  
"What do you do," Nikki asked as everyone focused on their teacher who pursed her lips together.  
  
"I'm having trouble with that. What used to bring me comfort is now what I'm afraid of." She said in a sad voice. "Right now; I'll either go over the keys to play songs on the piano or the songs I listened to at the Mira. It's not as good as my old one though."  
  
"What was it," Lavender asked curiously, obviously in hope of something that would help her keep calm.  
  
"I would think of Jake" She said as she looked at her hands. "I would think of everything we did together and where we went. He was such a great person; too bad he isn't anymore. I don't think that there's anything else we can do and since there's just five minutes left of school; you can all go early." The class packed up their things as they chorused thanks to her and Harry, Nikki and Ron waited with Hermione for her cousin who was to bring them into Hogsmead for supper. Celine locked the door and began to walk down the hall with the four.  
  
"So what do you all do over here for Halloween?" Celine asked as she twirled her hair in to a messy bun.  
  
"We have a feast," Ron said as they walked past Filch who was guarding the doors. "They make everything; pie, cookies, sweets, turkey, potatoes, vegetables, ice cream, cup cakes, this weird pastry thing with whipped cream inside that doesn't look good but tastes great...."  
  
"You mean they don't do anything" Celine stated with a disgusted look on her face.  
  
"What did they do in Canada," Harry asked as they make their way off the school's grounds.  
  
"At six, right after supper, everybody goes out Trick-or-Treating. You've all know what Trick-or-Treating is right," she asked warily as they all nodded. "Then at eight everyone comes in, drops off their candy in their rooms and they can either go to the costume ball, the all night horror movie fest, or pig out on their junk food. But the ball's always the best; maybe I should talk to Dumbledore to see if we could have one." She suggested as they walked in to Three Broomsticks and sat at the large table.  
  
"That would be pretty fun," Nikki nodded. "We used to have them at the orphanage for all the little kids, I went as a witch though; not as creative as it could have been. Some of the peoples supervising went in pairs. You know, like Tarzan and Jane, it was pretty good."  
  
"We should do that," Harry suggested to Nikki as they gave Madame Rosemerta their food orders. "Wear matching outfits."  
  
"I think I may go as Harry Potter," Ron said as Harry glared at him. "Or maybe not."  
  
*  
  
"This is going to be great," Hermione smiled as she rummaged through a rack of costumes the next day after Dumbledore agreed to the idea and they now needed something to wear to the ball.  
  
"Did you find your costume yet Harry," Nikki asked as she walked through the crowd to him with her outfit in the bag she was clutching.  
  
"Yep," He said as he held up his own bag. "It's a good thing we knew what we wanted to be, or else we'd be going crazy too" He said as he pointed at Ron who was tearing through the costumes trying to find something to go as. "Think we should get out of here before we get bought as costumes." He asked as Nikki nodded through laughs. They made their way outside and into the cold breezy October day. The clouds in the sky were lazily rolling by and Harry was escorting Nikki through the village to the Quidditch shop down the street to get her a Broomstick Service Kit. Along the way they past Madam Puddifoot's Teashop as Nikki came to an abrupt stop.  
  
"Oh look," She cooed as Harry had an awful memory of when Cho Chang of Ravenclaw dragged him there. Couples were scattered around the inside of the building making out over the tables like they were on Valentine's Day "How stomach churning."  
  
Harry laughed in relief of not having to go back inside as they continued to the shop. Ten minutes later they were sitting with Ron and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks with Butterbeers in their hands talking about their costumes.  
  
"So me, Seamus and Dean are going as the Three Musketeers" Ron said before he took another swig from his mug.  
  
"I couldn't find one that I liked but Celine said that she had one of her old ones that I could use so I'm going to pick it up later." Hermione explained as Ginny came inside and sat down with them.  
  
"Ron, did you know that Charlie's here" Ginny asked as she placed her bags on the floor.  
  
"Where," Ron asked; surprised that his oldest brother was around.  
  
"He told me he was going to be up at the school, want to go see if we can find him?" She asked with a mischievous grin.  
  
"Sure," Her brother said as they all laid down their mugs and went back towards the school. Upon entering, they promised Hermione to stop by her cousin's office with her first to pick up her costume; which proved to be lucky for it was there that they found who they were looking for.  
  
"Surrounding the castle with Dragons; that would never happen" Charlie's voice floated down the hallway as they approached the classroom.  
  
"Not with that attitude it wont. It was good though in fairy tales for protecting captured princess though." Celine retorted as Charlie laughed. "Stupid Muggles. Hi Hermione; here for the costume?"  
  
Hermione nodded as her older cousin left the table where she and Charlie were working over some pieces of parchment. The five walked in as Charlie looked jubilant.  
  
"You two remember when I sent home a letter about being sent a Canadian Tree Dweller right" Charlie asked his younger siblings who solemnly nodded. "It came from Celine; what were the chances. It turns out she's fascinated with Dragons as well."  
  
"Here it is Hermione" Celine announced as she came backing with what appeared to be a Mexican dress. "It's my Senorita costume. If you need help with your hair, come down before the ball and I'll do it for you okay."  
  
"Sure, what are you two working on anyways?" Hermione inquired as she looked between the two.  
  
"Stuff for the Order" Charlie told them as Hermione became puzzled.  
  
"You work for the Order" She asked in a hushed voiced.  
  
"Yes the one in Canada too." She said before she ushered them out of the door and into the hall.  
  
*  
  
Harry sat in the bustling Common room as everyone franticly bustled around trying to get ready of the costume ball. Ron, Dean, and Seamus were on the couch with him as he played Wizard Chess with Ron, who, as always, was winning. Ginny soon appeared in her black cat costume as she watched the game progressed. He adjusted the crown on his head as he looked for another move on the board. He threw down his crown as he king did on the board, both in defeat, as Ron smiled. The clock was moving most of the people out of the room; the ball was issued to start soon. Nikki came into view as more and more people left. She noticed Harry and walked over to him, dressed up her princess costume and tiara.  
  
"Prince Harry, what a delightful surprise" She mocked as he stood up and swung his cape over his shoulder and picked her up.  
  
"The ball awaits, my fair Lady" He smirked as he began to carry her outside as she called to the three heroes on the couch to come to her aid. They jumped in front of Harry, plastic swords drawn, and blocking the exit.  
  
"Put her down, you fowl creature; for you have left your crown on the table." Seamus ordered as Harry left Nikki in between the three and returned with his crown on his head. "Very well, you may proceed." Seamus said with a sweep of his hat; opening the Portrait hole.  
  
"My Hero" Nikki said sarcastically as she threw her arms around Seamus neck. The five made their way down to the Great Hall where they met up with Hermione, hair tames and curled, and Celine, who was chaperoning and dressed up in a small green dress that was tattered at the end and her golden hair piled on her head, exposing small fairy wings.  
  
"Hey," Dean smiled. "You're Tinkerbelle."  
  
"Sounds like somebody's been doing their homework," Their Defense teacher smiled as they entered the Great Hall. Floating pumpkins lit the room as hundreds of real bats flew around. The floor was set up much like it was for the Tri-Wizard Ball a few years ago. Cobwebs were entangled in numerous spots through out the room with the Ghost floating around; obviously not celebrating Nick's Deathday Party, as the Full Moon shone through the enchanted ceiling giving the room more light. They went to a nearby table that was adorned with a small cauldron with a candle inside, a flask of Pumpkin Juice and sat around it.  
  
"This is pretty neat," Nikki said as she looked around as people occupied the dance floor. "Much better decorations then at the one I was at."  
  
Harry nodded as Ron moved away from a nearby cobweb, in fear of spiders inhabiting it, as Dean and Seamus went to try their luck with the ladies. Hermione and Ron soon left as a new song started leaving Harry at the table with Nikki. They began talking about Quidditch strategies and wound up doing so for the most part of the dance; it wasn't until some of the others came back that they realized it.  
  
"You mean, you came to a dance and you talked the whole time," Shanna gasped as she came over with Seamus. "Are you CRAZY?"  
  
"Shall we then," Harry asked as he gestured to the dance floor as a slow song started.  
  
"Sure," Nikki supposed as Lavender began cheering. "Seems like somebody's been hitting the Butterbeers a little too hard."  
  
Harry laughed as he put his hand on her waist and began to lead her through the few steps he knew. "Not much of a dancer; are you," Harry asked, noticing she was watching where her feet were going.  
  
"I am on the ice, but I'm not much of one off of it." She confessed as she looked at the others dancing.  
  
"Don't feel bad, I'm not either." Her said as he twirled her under his arm and stepped into close the gap between them but ended up stepping in just a little too much. Harry and Nikki both stopped as they found themselves staring at each other in shock, Harry's lips unintentionally pressed against hers. He pulled away slightly as he continued looking at the wide eyed girl in his arm. Figuring that the damage was already done, Harry closed his eyes and moved back in to kiss her but was taken by surprise when he met Nikki's lips halfway. He picked up his cape with his free hand and wrapped Nikki in it, pulling her closer and sheltering them from the rest of the school. He took in everything he could, the softness of her lips; how silky her hair felt as he ran his hand through it; the spicy smell of pumpkins that wafted around her; how smooth her skin felt as her arms wrapped around his neck. Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room, indicating the dance was over and interrupting the two raven haired people wearing crowns. The two of them, cheeks flushes and arms wrapped around each other, net up with their friends outside the oak doors and left for the Common room together; not sharing what just happened on the other side of the room.  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up. I was busy over March break, cousins, bowling, drama practice, and finally – getting the flu. But I'm getting better now; I should be back in school tomorrow.  
  
So it happened. They finally kissed; how sweet. I should have the next chapter up sooner then this one. Or at least I hope I will.  
  
Poet – Darn tooting I'm right. And I left out Shanna in this chapter too, well she has a cameo but once they start training again she'll be there. And as for the death, there's just as much Death in this story as there is in my life. Let's reflect – Philip's brother – dead, my great grandma – dead, Kay – dead, Noel – dead, Sue – Dead, Bernie – dead, Katherine – dead, and you get the picture. That's just life Honey, well a part of life. And we all have to deal with it, so don't act like you never did loose anybody.  
  
Heero's Girl, where are you? 


	14. A thing you should know

Harry, Nikki, and Shanna sat outside in the unusual warm November weather as most of the school was below them in Hogsmead. The three went down earlier and were now showering themselves with the vast assortment of chocolates and sweets they accumulated. Shanna laughed as Harry bit into a sour jellybean and made a face just before she bit into a salty one.  
  
"Want one," Harry offered as he held some out towards Nikki who refused.  
  
"You've been nursing whatever's in you mouth for ten minutes now." Shanna stated, "What is it?"  
  
Nikki smirked as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, blowing a rather large bubble. The other two watched as it grew to the size of her head before she sucked it back in.  
  
"How many pieces was that?" Harry asked in a surprised voice.  
  
"Ten," Nikki mumbled through the gum. "It kept loosing its flavour."  
  
"So did you two tell Ron and Hermione yet?" Shanna asked as she unwrapped another chocolate. Harry and Nikki both fell silent as they sheepishly looked at each other. "Not yet, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry said sadly, ashamed that he was keeping this from his oldest friends. "I don't know why though. It's like we just don't know how to let them know."  
  
"So how are things with you and Seamus going?" Nikki asked quickly, trying to change the subject.  
  
"We broke up; we realized that we were so accident prone it would be the Armageddon if we dated. So I'm going out with Dean now. It's working out pretty good; but back to you two," Shanna said as Nikki quietly cursed. "If you don't tell them soon I will."  
  
"How soon is that," Harry asked.  
  
"Right now," Shanna said as she started to wave at Ron and Hermione who were walking up the hill; waving back.  
  
Harry and Nikki quickly looked at each other and mentally cursed. They each grabbed a handful of sour balls and shoved them into Shanna's mouth and charmed it closed.  
  
"Hi," Hermione greeted as the two made it up. "What's wrong with Shanna" she asked as Shanna was rolling on the ground making odd faces and crying.  
  
"We dared her to eat it all at once" Harry lied as she handed Ron the empty candy bag and began to laugh. Hermione giggled as the other three continued to laugh at the Ravenclaw.  
  
"And you got into Ravenclaw how?" Nikki inquired as the others laughed harder and Shanna shot her a look of disgust.  
  
"So what have you three been doing?" Ron asked as Hermione began to read.  
  
"No much, just daring each other to do stuff," Harry explained. "Want to join?"  
  
"Sure, I dare you to kiss Nikki" Ron said simply as the two ravens looked between each other and Shanna sat up quickly.  
  
"Uh..." Harry said, "Alright." He leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek as Nikki rolled her eyes.  
  
"Why Harry, I didn't know that you were such a master at wooing" Nikki said sarcastically.  
  
The four continued with the game, as Shanna continued to suffer from the sour balls, ending near supper time when Nikki landed her handstand wrong.  
  
"That was the funniest thing I've seen today, well, next to Shanna's faces." Ron laughed as they walked inside for supper. "The look on your face when you saw that bug Nikki; it was priceless."  
  
"I preferred the look on Harry's face when Nikki screamed, lost her balance and toppled over on top of him." Hermione said as Ron went into another laughing fit.  
  
"You try to keep cool when you're doing a handstand; it's hard enough to try to keep you shirt from falling." Nikki retorted as they sat down with Ginny.  
  
"Fun day," Ginny asked as Shanna went to join her sister at the Ravenclaw table.  
  
"You could say that," Harry assumed as he began to fill his dish with food.  
  
"Hermione," Ginny said as she searched the pockets of her robe. "Miss Soleil wanted me to give you this."  
  
Hermione took the folded up piece of paper from her and opened it up as the others peered over Hermione's shoulder to get a look at the note.  
  
"See me after you eat" Hermione read as she looked up at the High table. "She's not there."  
  
"I wonder what for?" Ron asked as he began to pick at his food.  
  
"I'm going to go check," Hermione said as she stood up.  
  
"What about supper?" Nikki asked as she gestured to the food.  
  
"I'm not all that hungry actually." Hermione said as she began to leave but Nikki grabbed the hem of her robe.  
  
"You aren't leaving without food." Nikki declared as Hermione picked up a roll and was free to go.  
  
The other four continued to eat in silence and walked back to the common room in the same silence; although they soon became indulged in jokes. Ron soon left to raid the kitchens and Ginny went upstairs to bed and the common room was soon empty.  
  
"We should tell them next time we see them," Nikki said as she and Harry curled up on the couch.  
  
"What," he asked, but soon clued into what she was talking about and agreed. "Should we tell them when they're separate or together?"  
  
"Together," Nikki said. "It'll be easier."  
  
The common room door sung open and Hermione walked in as cheerful as could be with a heavy looking.  
  
"What did she want you for?" Nikki asked as Hermione plopped into one of the armchairs.  
  
"She was giving me some of her old books from school. She was telling me how disappointed she is that nobody here knows anything magical outside of Britain; so I asked her is she had anything about magic in other countries."  
  
"And that's all she gave you?" Harry joked.  
  
"No this is only the first installment, I couldn't carry the rest. She's a frigging library." Hermione sighed as Ron came in with his arms full of junk.  
  
"I bring you gifts" Ron offered as he placed the food on the coffee table in front of them. "No need to thank me, I ate half of it on my way here."  
  
"Guys, we have something..." Harry started.  
  
"It's really all quite fascinating. We were talking about for a while, that's why it took me so long to get back..."  
  
"Hey they put walnuts in! I love walnuts they really bring out the chocolate..."  
  
"But, of course, I shouldn't talk after all I am the one who brought up the question on how efficient learning about multiple cultures would profit in the long run..."  
  
"And nougat! Man I got to get me these recipes. I wonder if they even use recipes; I mean, they're rather intelligent in a weird sort of way..."  
  
"Well," Nikki breathed. "This is going well."  
  
"We got to get their attention." Harry stated.  
  
"What did you have in mind?" Nikki asked as she looked at him and saw the sly look on his face. "No," Nikki whispered as Harry put one of his hands on her waist. "Harry," she laughed nervously as he leaned in and they both laid down on the couch. "You've got to be kidding me," She said as he leaned closer and the others continued talking.  
  
"I'm not," He said as he closed the gap between them and kissed her firmly on the lips. She began to return the kiss as he noticed the common room fell silent. He gave her another small kiss as they parted.  
  
"Are we interrupting something here," Hermione asked as Ron looked shocked.  
  
"No, not really," Harry said as he sat back up. "Just getting things started."  
  
"How long has this been going on?" Ron asked as he looked between the two.  
  
"Started on Halloween, and I'm really starting to like that holiday." Harry smirked as Nikki laughed.  
  
"And you weren't going to tell us," Ron asked.  
  
"Well; we tried to but, something always came up." Nikki said as she pursed her lips together. "And what if someone was listening, why the papers would have a field day; 'Harry Potter's new love is Sirius Black's Daughter'" She said in a more sarcastic tone.  
  
"Would you keep it down," Hermione scolded. "Nobody's supposed to know."  
  
"I wish they could though. I mean, I know I choose to go by Bella but still, it feels wrong." Nikki sighed.  
  
"Well, Quidditch tomorrow, we should probably get off to bed." Ron mentioned as they went up the stairs; Nikki and Harry soon following.  
  
A/N: Sorry it took a while to do this. I was at my Step Great-Grandmother's (some title eh?) wake/funeral/burial for the weekend and she was in the hospital before hand (pancreas cancer) and I just wasn't in the mood for writing. But it's here now and done. 


End file.
